Divinity

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.

Eddie Alcazar's Divinity is one of those hyper-experimental films where you're either joyously in or vehemently out in the first few frames, the sort of cosmically unhinged arthouse scifi-shocker madness that filmmakers like Panos Cosmatos or Alejandro Jodorowsky traffic in. This type of work is so insanely stylized, visually blown out and structurally impenetrable they're really not for everyone but if it's your thing, you'll know it. Stephen Dorff plays the half mad heir to a pseudoscientific cosmetics corporation founded by his guru father (Scott Bakula, of all people) that specializes in life extension techniques with some, shall we say, mildly egregious side effects. When he's kidnapped by two radicals with a murky agenda and force-fed a gargantuan dose of his own formula, he begins to... change and the decision to shoot him up with it backfires spectacularly. Elsewhere, his odd bodybuilder brother (played by that super jacked influencer guy from all those great slow motion memes with the slowed down version of "baby don't hurt me" in the background) ponders his absence and launches a hilariously theatrical rescue mission. There's a healthy dose of gooey body horror as Dorff transforms into something monstrous, an extended cameo from Bella Thorne who has still not learned to read a line without sounding just so awkward and it all culminates in a visually delicious stop motion animation battle that would make Ray Harryhausen proud. This kind of thing will always inevitably get accused of being style over substance and, well, I'm a style man myself so my response to that is when you have style this good, the style *is* the substance and you really don't need much else to make it work. Aesthetic is everything, as they say. Well, as I say. This works, if you're in the mood for something thoroughly weird, like a cassette futurism nightmare with a stark black and white palette and berserk full moon energy that doesn't let up.

Starts out okay while you wonder what is going on.... but once you piece the story together you can't stop looking at the horrible practical effects. By the time you are ready to see the story move to the next level, you are all of a sudden watching a claymation celebrity death match with horrible stop-motion... the only way to truly understand the crap ending this movie has, is to sit through it yourself. We are left with a horrible mess of a film that leans too heavily on 50 year old film tropes to help trod along this story's narrative. The filmmaker got lost somewhere along with way with this movie, as the very ending makes no real sense. Though I'm sure there are people who will come up with their own explanation and say "see, this us what he meant". But no no, he was actually just confused.

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.

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.