Significant Other

I won't overuse the term slow burn, but I will say the last 45 minutes are quite a surprise based on the first 45. Maika Monroe is very talented and Jake Lacy gives off Ben Affleck vibes in this short solid film. I am a sucker for films in this genre. I don't want to say what that genre is or name other films like it because I would have to mark this review as containing spoilers, but it makes for a film with some great twists.

It tries and somewhat succeeds on being a mediation about the meaning of love and if that sounds a little boring and cerebral, trust me, it isn't. In the second half you will laugh and gasp and probably be very glad you stuck with the story.

Nothing great, but pretty solid entertainment, that at the end of the day, feels like a setup for a bigger and better sequel. It may be praise enough to simply say, I hope I am right about the sequel.

It embraces an eerie and enigmatic tone that subsequently gets turned on its head, First half drags a bit but there's a neat twist about halfway through and then you're in for a hell of a ride until the final credits. Its a great movie , especially the ending, i mean you rarely see an ending like this in movies these days that makes so much sense. The lead performances were more than acceptable, Maika Monroe is very convincing and fits well into her role. There are many twists that made me re-watch a few scenes over and over again. Good cinematography for such a low budget movie. Significant Other delivers tense and entertaining moments, that are direct and to the point.

Ruth and Harry venture into the woods for a bit of a ramble, although if they knew what was ahead I'm sure they wouldn't have taken such a gamble, especially as Ruth has some serious anxiety that she struggles to overcome, and often relies on pills to stop the depth of her despairing, downward plumb, all brought about because of a traumatic childhood, that to this day leaves her confused and misunderstood, as she knows that people can change, their emotions and personalities can range, one minute this, the next minute that, sometimes calm and caring, the next getting ready for combat and overbearing. Suffice to say the lovers walk on the wild side reveals more about themselves than they could ever have imagined.

Interesting concept that is kept mysterious in previews, but quickly spoils the overall concept in the first 10 minutes (or suggests it loudly). Still, there is a mild edge as we try to understand what is happening. After things are clear on the plot, this turns into a mind game psychological thriller. But it lacks enough tension to be a thriller. Maika Moore and Jake Lacy play off each other well, making their couple in tension highly believable. But, the movie overall boils down to a very small point, and this was underwhelming for me. The movie is less mysterious when watching than what the previews suggest leaving a horror and thriller fan disappointed.

I wanted to see this as soon as I saw that Maika was in it because she is fast becoming my new favorite actress, particularly as she seems to be the go-to for good horror/thriller films, and she has not let me down yet. There are some minor issues with the movie itself; some pacing problems - this could have been a bit shorter overall, especially if the twist had come earlier, and once there, I loved the surprisingly humorous turn the story took, but I was left wanting just a few more shocks and surprises. The twist reminded me of the twist in Malignant, which I did not guess, and which then signaled utter craziness to come, so I was waiting for that to happen, but it was on a much lesser scale..still, this is enjoyable and unexpected, and best of all, it fooled me.