evan 🍃’s review published on Letterboxd:
"That was really, really shocking"
Alrightyyyy. I really did like this film a whole lot. I can't say I "enjoyed" it though because it is quite the trip to actually sit through and not wince and cringe at. However, this is juxtaposed with scenes of serene beauty and a score that I found very good and sets a nice tone for the scenes when it plays. Like I say in almost all my reviews though, I can definitely understand and accept if this film isn't your cup of tea, but I admire what Ari Aster was going for.
Aster stated that this was supposed to be a "macabre fairy tale" and I completely agree. It felt like a fantasy, but is also of course littered with disturbing imagery and surreal/absurd situations. At times, the film was also quite funny. I thought this clash of tones was refreshing and kept me interested. The characters are all pretty one-note, but the acting of Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor was very good.
My complaints of this film is that it is paced very poorly. It is overly long and it seems that some of the lingering shots are to blame. The film's plot is also not super original and there is of course some dumb decisions made by characters that erked me. However, I do believe this is meant to be a horror-fantasy film and I can overlook some of this. Overall, Ari Aster said this was supposed to be a breakup film and if you look at it that way he did make one hell of an original breakup film.
Also, is it bad that I think I would act exactly like Will Poulter's character if I was in this film???
