It pains me a little to only give this movie four stars because the acting is brilliant and I found the story really intriguing.
The problem, for me, was that the plot didn't exactly fill a 80+ minute movie, and there were long passages when nothing happened. Obviously, there was intention behind it: the audience acutely feels the protagonist's growing boredom and frustration while he's trapped in the house and nothing ever changes. But even though it's certainly effective, watching our despairing hero go through the same things again and again becomes mind-numbingly dull after a while. (And remember: unlike him, the audience can escape.)
I feel like this would have worked a lot better as a short film, if some of A.J.'s struggles were implied rather than shown.
Still, Joseph Morgan's superb acting and the punch-to-the-gut feeling the ending provides make it worth watching.
The problem, for me, was that the plot didn't exactly fill a 80+ minute movie, and there were long passages when nothing happened. Obviously, there was intention behind it: the audience acutely feels the protagonist's growing boredom and frustration while he's trapped in the house and nothing ever changes. But even though it's certainly effective, watching our despairing hero go through the same things again and again becomes mind-numbingly dull after a while. (And remember: unlike him, the audience can escape.)
I feel like this would have worked a lot better as a short film, if some of A.J.'s struggles were implied rather than shown.
Still, Joseph Morgan's superb acting and the punch-to-the-gut feeling the ending provides make it worth watching.