Thoroughbreds

The movie that makes you feel nothing.

I was absolutely stoked to watch the film Thoroughbreds as it was one of the last films Anton Yelchin got to act in before his sad, bizarre, young death. Ive always admired him and thought he was a brilliant actor, who was ahead of his time. The film follows two upper-class teenage girls in suburban Connecticut who rekindle their unlikely friendship after years of growing apart. Together, they hatch a plan to solve both of their problems-no matter what the cost. This indie, drama, thriller captures you with its brilliant acting but falls flat with its very slow pace. There is almost never a sense of urgency in any scene, even though there might be a sense of urgency to the character. The movie that made me feel nothing may have been the point the entire time. With both characters incapable of emotion, the film itself is purposely stagnent. This film had a stellar score, A + acting and stylish visuals but the story just felt a little to on the simple side and failed to really attach me to what could have been a top notch, new age teen thriller. All in all, I watched this film to see Anton Yelchin in one of his last rolls and he was brilliant as always, Olivia Cook and Anya Taylor-Joy are fantastic in everyway and keep the movie afloat although its eagerness to sink.

Thoroughbreds 6/10

SPOILER: Thoroughbreds was quite a bit to process for me. On the surface, it's a story about young would-be murderers who are plotting to kill a stepfather in a WASPy Connecticut setting. Symbolically, it's a story about free will and letting go of all inhibitions. Amanda teaches Lily that committing a murder is all about getting away from yourself and focusing on the goal. Throughout the film, they relate it to how Steve Jobs dropped out of college and founded his own computer company. Strange and satirical, for sure. Cooke and Joy are a fabulous duo.

The pacing of the film is even more off-putting. Also, despite being advertised as a comedy, Thoroughbreds is so matter of fact and grim, I couldn't decipher what was supposed to be funny from what was supposed to be dead serious. That was entirely the point, but I found myself scratching my head more than enjoying the nuance.

Thoroughbreds is a reminder that wealth is just a veneer over over our animalistic humanity. No matter how big the house, how luxurious the spa weekend, or how impressive the credentials, we all experience petty hatred and anger, we lie and we manipulate, and we want to protect what's ours - the cost to others be damned.

The movie is a character study of two rich kids - one who has no care for that veneer and one is highly dependent on it. The plot is driven by a "murder on my mind" scenario, but that's just to serve the psychological thriller format. The more interesting lens through which to view this movie, for me, was to examine the effect that these two unlikely friends had on each other.

Oh, and it's a pleasure to watch if you like careful, measured cinematography and pointed dialogue. It's a slow burn, but a worthy one.

Superb film that on a scenario already seen several times produces an exciting whole. In any case where we never guess what will happen next. Our two female characters are intriguing, that's the whole point of the film: the plot about what they are going to do with the horrible father-in-law of one of them is only a pretext. Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy are fascinating. The interactions of their two characters make the film and story worthwhile and it doesn't matter much what they do. They are preoccupied with Anya Taylor-Joy's stepfather who is horrible to her, a necessary element to their interactions.

The music of the film extremely worked with percussion is a success and multiplies the tension with alacrity. The film is a brilliant exercise in style, both in terms of acting and directing, the script and the dramatic progression. The two actresses are formidable. Their characters remain mysterious, in very different ways from each other. The evolution of the story, very simple, captivates the spectator by dosing the mini surprises to arrive at a conclusion unimaginable at the beginning of the film, but totally coherent.

This film is a great success and a good surprise.

This film is incredbily entertaining and intriguing from beginning to end. Our two lead actresses both give fantastic performances, as wealthy teenage girls from suburban Connecticut. The story unfolds in a very interesting way and the ending left me satisifed. The cameraweork is stunning, and the direction is great, especially for a directorial debut. It manages to be both comedic and dark and balances the tone quite well. There is one plot line including Anton Yelich that I would have liked to see wrapped up a little better, but it definietely does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the film. This film is intriguing and brings a much-needed spin to a genre that often produces subpar films. You should definitely go watch Thoroughbreds, you will not be dissapointed.