O Último Refúgio

And the award for the most pointless movie of the year goes to.... Lazareth.

It's been a while since I last saw a movie with Ashley Judd, but the ones I've seen have been excellent. Ashley is a good actress, so I had an idea that this film might be good, but unfortunately, I was wrong. A more insignificant film is hard to find. We've heard the story before, and we've seen it executed much better. Both the plot and the characters lack depth in this film. There are no likable characters, so you can't really sympathize with them. When something tragic happens, you just think "oh well.." and finally it's over.

I watched this movie randomly, like I usually do and I liked it, later I was surprised when I saw the low ratings and the reviews.

So, I felt obliged to mention and explain why I liked it and how it is actually a good movie. In my humble opinion.

Most modern movies are based on action and/or visuals, and totally disregard the substance of the story.

You might get the visuals from those; you might get popular actors and you might get some superficial ambiguous plot filled with holes and cliches.

This one is obviously different.

The plot is solid, the idea and the philosophy of this movie is like clear yet very deep water.

You should stare into it a bit to discover what lays beneath, you should pay attention to understand.

I would also like to spend a moment to appreciate the actresses who have done a great job, it is hard not to sympathize.

Moreover, the characters - without giving us any superficial info about their background, we get to experience them through a series of small interactions, which paint a good and realistic picture of their personalities. This is some work well done.

Somehow this movie manages to sell you an idea of a cult (I guess you can call it a cult) and moreover give you a perspective on how it can be appropriate or morally good to have one.

And all of this while avoiding silly cliches and meaningless dialogues.

Not saying all of this is totally new or flawlessly executed.

Maybe it's not a flawless gem, but it surely is good enough to ponder on.

This movie is much better than it is being given credit to.

However, you really need to be in the right mood to appreciate the beauty and the idea, and how it is different from many similar ones you might've seen before.

Again, a movie that is a disgrace to the whole entertainment industry. I sometimes think that the producers, writers and directors of such "sizzling rotten shrimps" do it on purpose. Having viewers on the edge of their seats while banging their heads on their cell phones.

I'm not surprised, that's not the first drivel of such that I've watched, won't be the last, but I'm still struggling to find the reason of such movies.

So far, I've found none other than these are being made on purpose. Maybe some very hidden message or evil hypnosis between frames. Who knows?!

• Screenplay/storyline/plots: 2
• Production value/impact: 1
• Development: 4
• Realism: 2.5
• Entertainment: 2
• Acting: 4
• Filming/photography/cinematography: 6
• VFX: 4
• Music/score/sound: 4.5
• Depth: 3
• Logic: 1.5
• Flow: 1.5
• Thriller/drama: 2.5
• Ending: 2.

In this movie writer Alex Tibaldi must have had M. Night Shyamalan's, "The Village", and. Coppola's, "The Beguiled" on repeat in the back of his mind.

Ashley Judd wasted her money and considerable talents on this film which never quite gets to the point of what's going on. Perhaps she thought it would be a hit since the two movies it is obviously based on did well. Or maybe she thought the very few sets needed would make for an interesting film. She was wrong.

While. Sarah Pidgeon and Katie Douglas put in excellent acting skills they were insufficient to keep this movie interesting. I hope this brings them new opportunities to have roles more worthy of their talents.

To be fair if you haven't seen either The Village or The Beguiled then you might enjoy this film for it's novelty. Otherwise stay clear.

I don't see what the point of "Lazareth" is. There are lots of stories about societal collapse, but most of them make a clear statement. I couldn't find that here. Ashley Judd, Sarah Pidgeon and Katie Douglas put on okay performances, but nothing came of it. If you want something truly dramatic focusing on something like this, stick to "A Quiet Place" or "The Last of Us". At the very least, you get a defined purpose with those (and no shortage of intensity).

Basically, this is what you might watch if there's literally nothing else to do (although you could probably go for a walk). Nothing interesting here.