To quote Harry Styles, "This movie feels like a movie, like a real movie. Like a 'go out to the theatre' film movie." Without poking too much fun at Styles' interview skills - he's right! This is a movie you should see in theatres that I quite enjoyed! While it doesn't fully live up to the promise of its incredible trailers, it surely is a compelling, engaging film and another fantastic work from Olivia Wilde. However, the true standout from this film is Florence Pugh, who deserves all the praise she will receive for her performance here. She is incredible and really shows off her range as an actress, I couldn't get enough of her in this movie! She was absolutely phenomenal and even if you don't like the movie, I assure you that you will love Florence Pugh in it! She truly carries the film, and right from the start you are fully enveloped in her character's conflicts and story. Pugh commands the screen in every scene that she is in - which is pretty much the entire film... one could say she really is the element that holds the film together! If you are a Florence Pugh fan, you'll be in heaven... and if you aren't... you will be by the time the movie is over!
The rest of the ensemble cast is wonderful here too! Pugh is definitely the standout, but I really loved Chris Pine's performance here too. He has this suave but menacing persona in it, and makes it very hard for you to get a read on what was going through his character's head. And can I just say... they made Pine look really good in this role, his costuming and hair was PERFECT. I also didn't mind Harry Styles, he was good especially considering he doesn't have much acting experience. It was a little hard to take him seriously in some dramatic scenes... but it seemed like he was really trying his best! And if he brought an audience into this film, that's a win. The rest of the cast was great too, it was an awesome ensemble and Olivia Wilde got some great performances out of her actors. She gave a good performance herself in a supporting role, but her direction is the most notable! I liked "Booksmart", but this is a huge step up for her! It is much larger in scale and deals with a lot more complex themes, which Wilde weaves into the film so organically. There is so much attention to detail and an expert use of symbolism to convey themes of control. I loved the aesthetic she brought to the film as well, from the stunning 50s production design and costumes (I loved these) to the phenomenal cinematography. It had this Hollywood high gloss feel to it, and yet had a number of avant-garde qualities that actually worked so well for the film! The film is evocatively shot, and I was amazed at some of the clever ways the cinematographer and Wilde chose to capture certain moments. And I can't mention the technical excellence of the film without mentioning the haunting and disturbing sound design. It worked so well for the film, really setting the tone in such a strong way and playing off the amazing 50s soundtrack the film had! Every beat is felt throughout your body and draws you further into the mayhem ensuing on screen. And the editing was exceptional too, especially in helping to reveal things to the audience without having to expressly tell us. The film's technical merit is impressive right from the very start, and I give all credit to Wilde for this in her excellent sophomore effort.
This movie is the type of movie we don't normally see these days, and it was quite refreshing. It definitely takes inspiration from other stories and films, such as "The Stepford Wives", and was even reminiscent of "WandaVision", but it manages to put a clever enough spin on these ideas that makes the film as a whole feel more original. Some ideas and elements did feel somewhat half-baked, but the film still did a lot to make them feel more natural and developed within the film! The story itself was right up my alley, it dove right into the mystery right at the beginning and sucked me in within seconds of the movie starting. It has a tight, gripping script with a fantastic twist at the end! Sure, it may be predictable but they put a unique enough spin on it that made it really work for me, I loved the 3rd act! It definitely won't be for everyone, and it depends how believable you find elements related to the twist. But it really came together for me in the end; I was on the edge of my seat and my eyes were wide! The story and ultimately the movie may not be as good as that first trailer promised it would be, if they did one more pass of the script it really could have been perfect, but what we got was still awesome!
The film is thrilling and at times filled me with dread. It is an excellent (and somewhat erotic) psychological thriller that just worked so well for me! The script is definitely not its strongest component, and in less inspired hands this film could have fallen flat. However, due to Olivia Wilde's strong vision for the film and well-rounded technical strength, exquisite sound and visuals the film bolsters... it actually works! And the cast was incredible too! While it does feature plenty of star power, one thing is for sure, this is Florence Pugh's world and we are all just living in it. This is one of her best performances to date, she elevates this movie to an exceptional level. Her effortless dedication to every element of her performance is impressive, especially considering the on-set drama that may or may not have happened. It is unfortunate the drama has taken focus off the film, but I do hope audiences still go out to experience this great film! Everything came together to create a really solid film that I just ate right up, it worked perfectly for me! And I can't wait to rewatch it!
The rest of the ensemble cast is wonderful here too! Pugh is definitely the standout, but I really loved Chris Pine's performance here too. He has this suave but menacing persona in it, and makes it very hard for you to get a read on what was going through his character's head. And can I just say... they made Pine look really good in this role, his costuming and hair was PERFECT. I also didn't mind Harry Styles, he was good especially considering he doesn't have much acting experience. It was a little hard to take him seriously in some dramatic scenes... but it seemed like he was really trying his best! And if he brought an audience into this film, that's a win. The rest of the cast was great too, it was an awesome ensemble and Olivia Wilde got some great performances out of her actors. She gave a good performance herself in a supporting role, but her direction is the most notable! I liked "Booksmart", but this is a huge step up for her! It is much larger in scale and deals with a lot more complex themes, which Wilde weaves into the film so organically. There is so much attention to detail and an expert use of symbolism to convey themes of control. I loved the aesthetic she brought to the film as well, from the stunning 50s production design and costumes (I loved these) to the phenomenal cinematography. It had this Hollywood high gloss feel to it, and yet had a number of avant-garde qualities that actually worked so well for the film! The film is evocatively shot, and I was amazed at some of the clever ways the cinematographer and Wilde chose to capture certain moments. And I can't mention the technical excellence of the film without mentioning the haunting and disturbing sound design. It worked so well for the film, really setting the tone in such a strong way and playing off the amazing 50s soundtrack the film had! Every beat is felt throughout your body and draws you further into the mayhem ensuing on screen. And the editing was exceptional too, especially in helping to reveal things to the audience without having to expressly tell us. The film's technical merit is impressive right from the very start, and I give all credit to Wilde for this in her excellent sophomore effort.
This movie is the type of movie we don't normally see these days, and it was quite refreshing. It definitely takes inspiration from other stories and films, such as "The Stepford Wives", and was even reminiscent of "WandaVision", but it manages to put a clever enough spin on these ideas that makes the film as a whole feel more original. Some ideas and elements did feel somewhat half-baked, but the film still did a lot to make them feel more natural and developed within the film! The story itself was right up my alley, it dove right into the mystery right at the beginning and sucked me in within seconds of the movie starting. It has a tight, gripping script with a fantastic twist at the end! Sure, it may be predictable but they put a unique enough spin on it that made it really work for me, I loved the 3rd act! It definitely won't be for everyone, and it depends how believable you find elements related to the twist. But it really came together for me in the end; I was on the edge of my seat and my eyes were wide! The story and ultimately the movie may not be as good as that first trailer promised it would be, if they did one more pass of the script it really could have been perfect, but what we got was still awesome!
The film is thrilling and at times filled me with dread. It is an excellent (and somewhat erotic) psychological thriller that just worked so well for me! The script is definitely not its strongest component, and in less inspired hands this film could have fallen flat. However, due to Olivia Wilde's strong vision for the film and well-rounded technical strength, exquisite sound and visuals the film bolsters... it actually works! And the cast was incredible too! While it does feature plenty of star power, one thing is for sure, this is Florence Pugh's world and we are all just living in it. This is one of her best performances to date, she elevates this movie to an exceptional level. Her effortless dedication to every element of her performance is impressive, especially considering the on-set drama that may or may not have happened. It is unfortunate the drama has taken focus off the film, but I do hope audiences still go out to experience this great film! Everything came together to create a really solid film that I just ate right up, it worked perfectly for me! And I can't wait to rewatch it!