The Successor

It is a very strange film.

I've gone into it blind (no synopsis, no trailer). The start of the film was promising: nice cinematography, superb music score, seemingly intriguing story. Unfortunately, after Ellias arrives at his estranged father's home it all goes south (it's almost like two different films from that point).

I can grasp and begin to understand the intentions of writers and of the main messages of the story, but it just... meh?

There is no tension in this film. The choice not to have any musical sound should have been accompanied with some sort of, I don't know, - colour, cinematographic choices, that would emphasize the tension. Throughout the film I just kept thinking "oh that just happened; oh, right, that happened as well; what is happening; why is it happening; can it all end now? No? Not yet? Not even now?"

As a woman, I could neither empathize with the main character nor pity him. The ending was just a bit sad about the father's friend, but OK for Ellias. I mean, he lost all his integrity as a human being, there was no other way to finish the film.

Perhaps, I am too biased, but I have seen better dramas, better thrillers, better psychological horror, better satirical films, better judgemental films, better home-made feeling films. In part, this one suffers from not knowing what genre it wants to be. That's what I believe.

I do not know why neither the screenplay writer nor the director did not realized that the main character was saying one thing but in the same scene was doing everything contrary to what he said he wanted to do...plus the time line make no sense...in 48 hours after the death of his father in a grocery store in canada, he is told by the French police, jump on a plane, to take care of things because his already has the autopsie report, the death certificate, a real estate agent and a charity agent are already at the house...to evaluate and clear the furnitures...no scenes flow into the next one ...on my the before last scenes is good.

For the most part of the first half, there is a lingering background music building a discomforting crescendo seemingly leading to some revelation, adding an air of mystery to an otherwise mundane screenplay (but for the opening scene). My guess is this was a deliberate decision. The latter half goes off in an unexpected direction. Soon enough, my hopes of the movie being a psycho-cerebral journey into Barnès' mind are shattered as the plot simplifies. It's still gripping and creates tension, so I enjoyed it. You sympathize with Barnès in his weak moments - balancing trying to do the right thing and saving his reputation, but ending up making mistakes.

Was enjoying the movie until the big plot twist and then I hated the rest of the movie. Completely unbelievable behaviour by the main character. Makes no sense and therefore the rest of the movie is uninteresting.

The only reason this movie gets 2 and not 1 is because Grondin plays well despite the terrible storyline he is supposed to carry.

It's unreal that no one during the making of this movie said to themselves that the plot was absurd and they just pressed on with the ridiculous story. Yet, they could have made an interesting movie has they avoided the unrealistic behaviour of the main character but they pressed on anyway.

Very frustrating - would have walked out but was with my partner who it turns out also hates the movie.

Laughable. Pass.

The Successor is a psychological thriller that pleasantly surprised me with its depth and tension. From the start, the music sets a great atmosphere, with electronic sounds and deep bass creating a unique audial experience. The blend of pleasant piano and violin throughout the film enhances the mood, and the strategic use of silence heightens the anxiety and tension. It's a masterful touch that really pulls you into the protagonist's growing unease.

Visually, the film is great. The cinematography is crystal clear, balancing standard techniques with some unique approaches that make the film stand out. The film per se is slow, demanding patience, but this slow-burn approach pays off as the tension builds steadily. The dialogue is natural, without any cliché lines, making the conversations feel real and necessary to the story.

The editing is another highlight, especially the small parallel editing sequence accompanied by silence - a fantastic move that added to the film's suspense. The transitions are smooth, and the film's pacing, while slow, is deliberate and effective. I even got goosebumps during some of the critical moments.

However, I do wish the film had put more effort into the color grading. A darker, grittier tone would have enhanced the overall mood and aligned better with the story's psychological depth.