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Jessie Buckley. © 2022. A24 and DNA Films. Directed by Alex Garland. After two Sci-fi films, Alex Garland goes to modern time but in a body horror way. It's a mix of psychological and body horror but with a modern twist on society. It's gory all the way and it's a film that will make you uncomfortable after the film. It's not what it looks like from the trailers. It is a fucked up and dark film yet unintentionally funny. This film will divide audiences but critics will like it. Well, some won't. This film was unexpected and it's a film that you will look at it and say "What in god's name is that?". I ain't no Indiewire critic who didn't like Elvis, but I'm sure I am one of those independent critics who will watch this film and critique on "what the fuck did I just watch in those final minutes". Well, you will get to know my honest critical opinions here so let's dive into the review.
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal. However, someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread soon becomes a fully formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears. The film is definitely horror but in a different way. It tends to go into a more psychological route but is mixed in with body horror. The horror aspects worked very well. There were long takes and scenes where I was about to get jump scared but there was no jump scares at all. Well, maybe one or two. The town itself was pretty sketchy and once I knew some of the several characters in the film, I know that there was something wrong. The atmosphere of the town is creepy and the several locations give off some Friday The 13th vibes. The imagery of this film is fucked up. Yes, fucked up. A lot of gory body horror in the last 30 minutes. But in the first 30 minutes, there's already graphic imagery that it's already destroyed my mind. This film is uncomfortable to watch but the film isn't over the top. It's a calm horror film that focuses on slow horror and makes the audiences want to leave but cannot. It's pretty weird. The story is pretty good, the themes behind it get wilder, and the story takes a turn in the final 30 minutes. The main character Harper tries to move on from a personal tragedy but with the horror inside the town, she can't get through it and it will haunt her life until she does something. It's fucked up in many ways but the story can get a little bit weird in those final minutes. Jessie Buckley as Harper did an amazing job in her role. Her performance was amazing and her character was well-written to care about her character and the trauma she is going through. The villain Geoffrey played by Rory Kinnear did a really great job in his role. His performance was very creepy and funny at the same time. When we met Geoffrey, his first interaction was off but nice. Then later in the film, he's funny but gets creepier every time he is on screen. His character story was interesting and he's a mirror of Harper's trauma and commentating on how men can be cruel. Even though the film is directed by a man, which is hilarious. The other cast members were great as well and overall, the story worked well and it goes into insanity mode in the final 30 minutes. The cinematography is great. There are a lot of unique visual elements and interesting colors. The visual effects are very good since I bet it's mixed in with practical effects. The production design is well made and the music was surprisingly good. It's creepy but it fits very well into this film. Overall, the production was well made and the directing was very good as always from Alex Garland. He stepped away from the weird Sci-fi elements into the grounded horror. But he still uses sci-fi elements in the final 30 minutes and the weird distortion effects on Harper's phone. His directing was solid and I am now looking forward to his next project. When it's a horror film, there can be some division between audiences and critics. This film would not be recommended to the general audience. It's too complex within its narrative and it leaves off many themes that haven't been touched on. The body horror is very uncomfortable and the scene is pretty long. There are some questionable decisions from the main character in the film because of plot reasons and her reaction to the weirdness are unrealistic. The film can drag at some points in the film. There isn't much to explore around the story. In the final 30 minutes, the writing went off rails into a completely different film. By the time the film finished, I was like "oh, this was the film I watched. What in the actual fuck?". The ending was off and I felt like this was just a mind fuck of the film. While this is Garland's weakest film, it's still very good and that says a lot. I wish they could've stayed within the atmosphere of horror before going full-on to David Cronenberg's body horror. The film just flipped by the end and I was completely lost. Not Tenet lost. Just weirdly lost. Overall, this film was very solid in its presentation. Some story problems and out-of-left-field moments. It's a weird-ass film but there are risks behind it and I like those risks. The film won't be for everyone but it's a film that will haunt me in my dreams. Hopefully, in Garland's next film, it won't be weird as fuck. Now Playing Only in Theaters. Vizeit Score: "B" Copyright © 2022. Vizeit Studios. All Rights Reserved. Review Written By: Everardo Garcia Jr.
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