Reading the reviews for this movie was promising. It was said to have a complex psychological depth and insight that would leave me, as a viewer, with a sense of wonder. Given the multiple awards it had received, I believed that might be the case. However, it was not.
The movie comes across like the work of a high school student who has just been introduced to the subject of psychology and decided to make a banal and rudimentary film about it with friends. While I can sense a genuine interest in the topic, the writer does not seem to fully grasp the complex terms and concepts they attempt to portray. The multiple-choice ending only reinforces this impression. The plot had potential, but it was never fully realized.
Furthermore, I couldn't help but question the casting choice of Nia, who looks the same age as her supposed father. In the first scene, I even thought they were a couple-perhaps that was intentional? I get that she also portrayed his sister, but this does not explain why they could not have picked a younger actress. Additionally, I found the scenography to be unnatural-like watching Aria sit on a hard wooden stool, reading a book in the most awkward pose, without even a reading lamp. The overall aesthetic felt staged rather than lived-in. I also felt that the actors appeared too groomed and pristine for a narrative that was meant to be messy and emotionally raw.
This movie clearly aspired to be deep and artistic. In my eyes, however, it ended up being quite the opposite.
Worst Scene: When Dion is about to leave the house with his parents (in one of the realities), he walks over to the chessboard in his tight t-shirt, skinny jeans, and necklace, and picks up a chess piece-supposedly to remember Nia by. The moment felt unintentionally comical and undermined the emotional weight it was clearly aiming for.
Best Scene: When Aria first appears as a mysterious woman in Victorian dress with cloudy eyes, and only Dion can see her-causing him to freeze. That scene felt visually striking and emotionally intriguing, even though it didn't reflect the tone or quality of the rest of the film.
