Category: Suspense/Thriller

8.7

Beauty fades, but terror lasts forever.

This is the film Edgar Wright was born to make. The soundtrack was pure ear candy, the setpieces breathtaking steps into an idyllic past long ago stained by the sins of those who survived it. The choreography of the action on the screen and the story’s pace combine in perfect concert with each other as this terrifying tale of the gore behind the glamour comes to fruition. Ana Taylor-Joy and Thomasin Mackenzie steal the spotlight and hold it for nearly every frame of this masterpiece.

This film is the antidote to the current Hollywood wave of nostalgia. As we clamor for a taste of “what it was like” to live in a bygone era or location whose darkness has been painted over in gold by each passing generation, this film reminds us that the shine often hides the sinister. The human cost is front and center in this story, as our protagonists wrestle with how much of their soul their willing to exchange for fame and success and how they choose to find redemption once they’ve gone past the point of no return.

There is a lot to unpack after leaving the theater for this one and a lot to ponder and rearrange on the floor of one’s mind. Luckily, the soundtrack is enough of an exquisitely curated collection of audio experience that you can lose yourself in that as you search your psyche for the ultimate meaning.

If you can’t tell, I loved this one. I may be a tad biased in my excitement that this lived up to and exceeded the hype.

7.9

Strong “Words on Bathroom Walls” vibes, in the best possible way.

The art of cinema can be a compelling force. Helping us, as a society, to look in the mirror and reflect on our treatment of those with mental health issues can be a great force for good. This film struck a delicate balance between ensuring the extremes were felt and not getting too silly and over the top. They paid homage to the original Wes Craven trick of “is this the real world or is this a dream?” highlighting the unease and tension that fills the world of someone stricken with one of these terrible ailments. Not in such a way that it causes one to recoil and wish upon them a lifetime of confinement, but important steps to opening our hearts and minds to making a good faith effort to better understand and empathize with each other and the unique struggles we each may have.

Technically speaking, I felt like everything was exceptionally well balanced and that the twists that filled the third act were well earned and impactful. A term I’ve used with other films, this one keeps you in a state of productive discomfort. The edge of your seat feeling leads to the points of the story being that much more impactful by the time the credits roll. A very emotional tale and definitely a thinker of a movie. A great deal of nuance and interwoven clues that collectively form a beautifully complex piece of cinema. Extremely well done.