No more narration in movies. Not like this. Show, don't tell.

Now, with that out of the way, this was good. I can definitely see where people could be turned off; the thing is depressing as heck and has some real pacing issues. I can also feel some derivative beats taken from other films and stories (There Will Be Blood and The Place Beyond the Pines come to mind). However, if there's one thing the film gets right, it's the acting prowess commanded onscreen. Tom Holland hasn't ever really had a chance stretch himself, and I'm really glad he got to do this - he knocked it out of the park. And I could watch Robert Pattinson as a Southern preacher on repeat for decades and never get tired of it. Once again, we find ourselves back at a commentary on corruption of faith, power, and legacy, and while it might ditch 2/3 of that narrative in the last 20 minutes, the story didn't feel jumbled or disjointed in that regard.

But be warned, it's graphic. And not easy to take in at times. But you'll be hard pressed to find something more challenging this year.