I get it - it's trying to do something different
Part elevation, part satire, and all around love letter to the classic slasher film.
This is a unique and ambitious experience to watch, and I can see the pieces at work, although at the end of the day they don't necessarily all work.
The cinematography in this movie is stunning. The fact that the central protagonist is an inhuman killer becomes surprisingly palatable when we watch him move through the world in some truly stunning nature shots. He is no different than any other wild animal that coexists perfectly in his environment - until prey presents itself.
See the group of young friends from the killer's eyes really was a fun way to flip the genre on its head. They are flat charicatures of people, insufferable and unsympathetic, and therefore perfect bait for some gory kills. I really enjoyed this aspect of the film, although it did come at the expense of the fear since I couldn't have cared less about any of the people doomed to die.
The supernatural elements of the plot are purposefully left vague, but even so I felt it clash pretty clunkilly against the themes of the killer as a wild animal. It was just an element that didn't work very well for me.
I found the final scene of the movie very frustrating. It felt like a departure from the whole rest of the story, and I felt frustrated by the end of it. In retrospect, I think it was probably a deliberate attempt to build tension and leave the viewer on a cliffhanger, but I didn't find it a very satisfying watch.
All in all, I'm glad I saw this movie as there's really a lot to admire about the quality of the filmmaking. I don't think it completely worked in pulling off the different angles it was aiming for; I wouldn't necessarily watch it again but I would definitely go see the sequel.
This is a unique and ambitious experience to watch, and I can see the pieces at work, although at the end of the day they don't necessarily all work.
The cinematography in this movie is stunning. The fact that the central protagonist is an inhuman killer becomes surprisingly palatable when we watch him move through the world in some truly stunning nature shots. He is no different than any other wild animal that coexists perfectly in his environment - until prey presents itself.
See the group of young friends from the killer's eyes really was a fun way to flip the genre on its head. They are flat charicatures of people, insufferable and unsympathetic, and therefore perfect bait for some gory kills. I really enjoyed this aspect of the film, although it did come at the expense of the fear since I couldn't have cared less about any of the people doomed to die.
The supernatural elements of the plot are purposefully left vague, but even so I felt it clash pretty clunkilly against the themes of the killer as a wild animal. It was just an element that didn't work very well for me.
I found the final scene of the movie very frustrating. It felt like a departure from the whole rest of the story, and I felt frustrated by the end of it. In retrospect, I think it was probably a deliberate attempt to build tension and leave the viewer on a cliffhanger, but I didn't find it a very satisfying watch.
All in all, I'm glad I saw this movie as there's really a lot to admire about the quality of the filmmaking. I don't think it completely worked in pulling off the different angles it was aiming for; I wouldn't necessarily watch it again but I would definitely go see the sequel.
- sharkme94
- Jun 14, 2024