Terryweaverjr

Story ~ ⭐ 9/10 I was talking to a scriptwriter friend today who is finishing up a story, and I shared, "What you need is massive pressure against the protagonist. You want the audience to think there is no way this person will succeed. You want the scenes to be packed with beats that take the viewer on an emotional rollercoaster. You want surprises."

This movie has it all and more. I had to use the restroom midway through the movie, and I ran both ways so that I wouldn't miss anything. That's when I realized this was the best movie I've seen this year.

Acting ~ ⭐ 9/10 Austin and Zoe are both incredible. Great chemistry. I first noticed Austin's acting chops in The Bikeriders; he is just a remarkable talent. Every performance in the film was exceptional, with some Hebrew surprises thrown in.

Cinematography ~ ⭐ 8/10 The cinematography was excellent and not pretentious. There were trick shots that made me say, "Okay, let's do this!" (quietly, of course)

Recommendation: This is a movie I would see a second time in the theater with a friend. It is worth the experience. It will take you through all the great ranges of emotion that a film should.

Story ~ ⭐ 6/10 The story ... the story ... well I'm still trying to find the story, and this is a real problem. Walking out of the theater, I felt like I'd just crawled out of a dryer. Disoriented and confused was my general feeling, not from trying to figure the movie out, but really understanding what Alex Garland (the writer) was attempting. I believe he's an adept storyteller, from his past work, but this one wasn't his finest.

The main downfall was trying to do too much. And this likely falls equally on the director. When a movie tries to do too much, it fails at the fundamentals, the cornerstone being a well-told story. That's where this across-the-pond, punk-influenced, zombie of a story failed.

Acting ~ ⭐ 8.5/10 The acting is the movie's greatest strength. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Alfie Williams were fantastic. Aaron had the most dynamic performance. They are only clouded by the story, and that's why great acting cannot save a story. The story is the foundation.

Cinematography ~ ⭐ 6.0/10 The cinematography struggled for the same reason as the story: it tried to do too much. There were beautiful shots, amazing shots, images I'm sure are framed somewhere because of their beauty, and for good reason. And then there were shots that a kid could have captured. The director overemphasized style and novelty, and created a gumbo soup with things that just don't work, leaving a bad taste in the ol' eye palette.

Recommendation: I watched this because the trailer was so intriguing, but left the theater disappointed. I think the zombie heads and the established fans are inflating its ratings, but those will settle much lower when it reaches the masses. The worst part of this film was the ending, another British-inspired gumbo that was ... well, terrible in my opinion.

Pass on the theater and watch it at home, only if you're a zombie head.

Story ~ ⭐ 5.5/10

The writer forgot to close some story lines, and when you do that, you leave the audience wanting. The movie is a negative character arc for both Robinson and Rudd, and that's depressing, especially without meaning or something else to grab onto. Yes, it was funny, at times, but it was drowned out by a sea of not enough audience payoff. Clever ending, not really.

Acting ~ ⭐ 7.0/10

Robinson is doing Robinson and Rudd is doing Rudd. Expanding on Rudd, it seems he has some acting tic he can't shake that's turned him into a cliché; it's something in his face, like an invisible string keeps him from doing something different. At times, Robinson's slapstick, especially the scene with the Vietnam hat-wearing overactor, degenerated into a yelling match that should have been left with the editor. My 7 for acting is generous, thanks to Kate Mara, who delivered the most talent and nuance by far.

Cinematography ~ ⭐ 7.5/10

Nothing special here, but not bad either. Sorry, I can't offer more.

Recommendation: This is uncomfortable, awkward humor. If you like that, rent it, but pass on the theater run.