Now we have something that looks to have a similar tone to The Ring. But to be honest, I did not know what to expect as the trailers felt pretty vague. But it was still intriguing enough for me to check it out. Also, with me always liking Verbinski's work, it was practically a given that I was going to pay good money to see it.
What I got from it was rather pleasing I thought. Firstly, it is the type of film I rarely see and not have seen for quite a few years. The first act introduced to our characters and the situation fairly well. Then as the film got stranger and weirder, the excitement levels were gradually going up.
Even though I was having a good time with it, I could tell that the pay-off in the final act was going to make or beak the film. While I can see some demographics might not liking the ending. I was still pretty satisfied with it, even though I would liked a more profound one.
Dane DeHaan plays the lead, and I have always been interested by him. He was good in Chronicle and Metallica Through The Never. But I felt he was wasted in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. He has the talent, and a look that can work in several genres I reckon.
I thought he was a pretty good lead in this. He carried the movie well and was easy to root for despite thinking his character not being that nice at the start.
Jason Isaacs was great in this and probably the strongest performance of the lot. He was super creepy, sinister in a very subtle way and I will probably never trust him ever again. Mia Goth was a good support, especially when with DeHaan.
I was surprised to see Celia Imrie in this. It is definitely not something you usually see her in. But she still plays her character as well as you expect her to.
One of Verbinski's main strengths is the cinematography and production design. Every shot is absolutely gorgeous, the locations really make you want to see them in real life, the editing is swift and consistent and even the sound design felt like an integral part of the story.
I had mixed feelings with the duration. I was surprised to see the duration being 2hrs 26mins. For me, it flew by and never felt any moments that dragged. I never checked for the time at any point and that alone gives this film a pass.
However, I could have taken off about 20 minutes of it. Making the film tighter I think would of heightened the tension nicely to make this a really good watch.
While it is certainly not a masterpiece, it was something that can definitely be talked about long after seeing it. It was well structured, the story fascinated me, the performances were good and I liked the vibe and tone of it. I liked its originality up to a point, it is certainly one that you do not see that often at this moment in the film world.
It may have flaws in its story. But I still think it is good fun and it leaves a lot for you to workout or decide for yourself.
The structure of the story managed to keep my interest throughout. While you are eager to have some questions answered, you are still having fun finding more unusual things going on in this film. The questions do get answered. But it will take a while. However, I think the content on screen will keep your interest until the big finale.
There are plenty of disturbing, sinister and gross-out images that elevated my enjoyment of the film. But there were some moments that amazed me that they even went there.
I can see it losing people though. But I think divisive films can sometimes be the best kind of films. They are films that spark discussions as it polarizes the audience.
It is quite weird and odd. But it certainly makes you think and I have to praise Verbinski and his team for giving us something that is not spoon-feeding the audience and the entertainment is serviceable enough. I liked the risks it took and I thought they did a great job. This certainly has the possibility of being a cult film eventually.
I would recommend watching this on its originality alone. If you feel you're watching the same sort of film over and over again. Then and go see this for something a little different.
Rating: 7/10
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