Divinity

Divinity is a very stylized, black and white sci-fi/horror adjacent/thriller. Destined to be divisive, but very much worth checking out if the trailer peaked your interest.

The film is very strange but I was never lost. There is a clear and defined plot that isn't convoluted. The acting is rough around the edges, the dialogue is not polished, but in many ways this contributes to the style of the film.

That's not to say this movie is "so bad it's good." The style will not work for everyone though. The one thing that is inarguable is the movie's ability to stay cemented in your brain. This is a movie that I don't believe will leave your mind so quick like a big budget Hollywood film.

Is this movie empty, vapid and all style over substance? Is it a deep and meaningful reflection about what humans value? For me, somewhere in between but nonetheless a very entertaining film.

Divinity will definitely find its audience but it still isn't the next Blade Runner. Check it out.

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Divinity" is a story about two mysterious brothers, who abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery. Director Eddie Alcazar clearly takes influence on films like Lynch and strange art-house science fiction stories and with this being his first feature-length film, there are some great aspects to it.

There are some weird stuff happening. The black and white colors, sound designs, and visuals are very interesting and great. The performances from the cast is interesting as the performances feel kind of weird or dull but I think it was intentional for the setting. It has a surprising cast and for the whole cast, they do a pretty good job on playing their strange roles. I don't mind strange films like these as they are one of the types of genre of filmmaking that I enjoy seeing.

The main narrative is a bit strange and while it's very ambitious, the ambitious tone and presentation takes away from some of the writing elements as the writing elements at points felt underdeveloped or unfocused of what the intentions of the film wants to be. Some of the dialogue moments were pretty rough. The third act does start to feel a bit too silly at times which takes away some of the tension.

Overall, it's definitely ambitious and a very strange type of film to watch. It's no where near one of my favorites on weird art-house films but there are some cool ideas that felt original.

Rating: B-

While watching this movie it reminded me of Tetsuo Iron Man. The themes of body modification and technology overtaking the core of what it means to be human. Some scenes also reminded me of a bad b-movie like something from an Ed Wood 50s sci-fi or even Neil Breen. There were definitely things I hadn't seen in a while like stop motion animation techniques in place of CGI. It feels like a breath of fresh air at this point where we are just inundated with things that look the same. It is not going to be everyone's cup of tea but if you like Ray Harryhausen, Tetsuo: Iron Man, cheesy sci-fi movies, you may like this.

Divinity (2023) is a science fiction movie produced by Steven Soderbergh and it was certainly an experience.

Positives for Divinity (2023): The movie looks fantastic with the black and white cinematography and it feels very old school. The performances from the cast are good enough for what the movie asks from them. There are moments where you get some artsy imagery sprinkled throughout the movie. And finally, the movie achieves its main goal with its plot even if not everything worked for me.

Negatives for Divinity (2023): The movie is a little too weird and artsy for me. There are scenes where I was scratching my head in confusion because I didn't know what was happening. The movie is very small paced, but in a way that felt forced by the filmmakers. And finally, this is a movie that I won't be rewatching anytime soon.

Overall, Divinity (2023) is a movie that won't be for everyone, but I'm happy that I did watch it because it was an experience that I will remember.

Fantastic visuals, numbing story to the brain. While I do appreciate the straightforward allegories that were apparent, it seemed like this movie was relying on the visuals to save it. The story is super simple with overarching metaphors involved, yet, it seemed like certain scenes were missing it. The pacing was super off, but the visuals almost make up for it. Every shot looks like a charcoal pencil drawing that just adds to the nature of the film. Great concepts, yet not expansive to the point where I feel the lore could be elaborated on. I recommend solely for the visuals and set design, yet it's not much of a pleasing story.