Florence Pugh is a talented actress, the cinematography is lovely, and there certainly could have been an interesting story here, but instead, weird music and generalized oddness is substituted for a meaningful story.
Introducing that the fourth wall would be broken at the beginning of the story created expectations that something would come of it, but then it didn't develop, so the purpose of doing so is the only mystery there.
Perhaps most disturbing was the way that the plotline of incest between the deceased son and the starving daughter was introduced, but then never really addressed -- either from the religious perspectives that the story is steeped-in or from the perspective of the traumas and psychological damages extending across and motivating the behaviors of Anna's family. Instead, the significance of Anna revealing this truth and how it has contributed to her starvation as an atonement is treated as kind of a ho-hum, its out there, let's move on moment. I mean surely, this should have merited more than a casual mention?
Other reviewers have also noted the weird, jarring musical score and I can but confirm having had the same reaction -- i.e., please make it stop.
I really wanted this to be a wonder-ful movie, but unfortunately, no.
Introducing that the fourth wall would be broken at the beginning of the story created expectations that something would come of it, but then it didn't develop, so the purpose of doing so is the only mystery there.
Perhaps most disturbing was the way that the plotline of incest between the deceased son and the starving daughter was introduced, but then never really addressed -- either from the religious perspectives that the story is steeped-in or from the perspective of the traumas and psychological damages extending across and motivating the behaviors of Anna's family. Instead, the significance of Anna revealing this truth and how it has contributed to her starvation as an atonement is treated as kind of a ho-hum, its out there, let's move on moment. I mean surely, this should have merited more than a casual mention?
Other reviewers have also noted the weird, jarring musical score and I can but confirm having had the same reaction -- i.e., please make it stop.
I really wanted this to be a wonder-ful movie, but unfortunately, no.