Paradise Hills

I thought the movie had some creepy moments and overall tries to build a feeling of mystery. But the ending was just terrible. We didn't see it coming and it made me angry. Wait for this one at Redbox, trust me. Save that movie theater money for something better.

I love the concept and beautiful art direction, but the editing and scriptwriting are not very good esp. at the beginning of the film... Few bad castings, course takes (despite some high caliber talent), and bad chemistry between characters really pushed it towards the territory of unwatchable... The amazing set design and Bjork and Iris Van Herpen-inspired wardrobe kept the film interesting though. I personally put this film in the same category as Oblivion-a beautiful design. As a design 7/10, as a film 5/10. I really wanted this film to be amazing, but it was not...

Nice and interesting looks/visuals meet slow plot and a too obvious/blunt metaphor to our modern society (or the critic of) - some of the twists are rather flat (the resolution) or the nature of the Dutchess (how does that make any sense) is out of place. The more you watch the inflation of movies one realizes that writing a good book or script is an art of its own that not many really master. That's in my opinion the weak spot of most movie productions in recent years - the script/story. Anyway, like said, Paradise Hills got nice visuals, a pro production and good acting but lacks heavily any quality regarding the story told. Also I must say (just an example), the rather "well build" girl did - despise the rigorose diet in Paradise Hills - not lose one pound of weight in the movie, but that's the difference a dedicated actor makes - sometimes you gotta do more than just talk and act to fit into or fill a role. To sum it up: mediocre, okay if you wanna some balm for your eyes. Paradise Hills reminds me a lot of The Dead Don't Die - both movies are rather a waste of talent and means and a missed opportunity to make something good and memorable.

This is a kind of thing a teenager might enjoy watching because it definitely feels like the story was written by one. Or may be like some obscure comic book adaptation that looks ok on paper but is just too shallow for screen.

Oddly I just watched Level 16 last week and there are massive similarities between the two. Main juxtaposition being that this is set in a visually stunning fantasy world, while Level 16 is very bland and sterile. Problem with this film is that between the setup and getting anywhere there's a weak romance plot coupled with weak character development. I really couldn't care what happened in this film.