While watching this film there were times I was blown away and times I wasn't sure if I even liked it. I walked out thinking hard about it, and I think I'm a huge fan of this film. The only reason I'm unsure is because of just how challenging the film is and how little is answered. Forget the cool sci-fi movie the trailers have this film appear as, and get ready for something unexpected and engaging that will no doubt have you thinking.
This film sees a group of five women exploring "the shimmer," a strange phenomenon taking over an area surrounding a lighthouse. In this bizarre place they are mentally and physically put to the test and forced to question all that they know. I know that summary is vague but this is a really tough movie to describe, especially without spoiling it.
The main reason for my excitement leading up to the film was Alex Garland, the writer/director of the 2015 hit Ex Machina and writer of other sci-fi gems such as Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and Dredd. With this film Garland has proven himself as a talent to watch in both the writing and directing department as this film is truly fascinating. Garland takes a showing rather than telling approach to the story, and doesn't even show everything, which leads to a lot of questions with very few answers. I know for a fact this is something that will piss a lot of people off but I think it works really well. The film definitely has horror elements, but in one of the more horror-centric scenes I found myself not necessarily scared of the haunting imagery before me, but terrified by the uncertainty of what was to come next. The lack of understanding and strong sense of ambiguity Garland gives brings a layer of tension that courses through the film to the very end. Luckily for those that won't enjoy the style of storytelling, the visuals for the most part are satisfying on their own. The effects of "the shimmer" make for some breathtaking visuals, as well as some unsettling. There are one or two gruesome images that'll stick in your head but also many gorgeous shots and scenes. Somehow these beautiful images can also provide an unsettling feeling which is quite interesting. The score of the film is probably the biggest thing I have mixed feelings on. It consists of some beautiful haunting music that fits perfectly, as well as some guitar music that fits some scenes but sticks out like a sore thumb in others. I'd say for how the guitar music works in some scenes it can still be seen as a positive but I detracted from the film in some areas.
This cast is headlined by some really strong women that all do great work. I'm not a big Natalie Portman fan but the work she does is fascinating, as the amazement and confusion she shows almost mirrors what the audience is feeling at times. She brings a complex performance that does a great job highlighting her talents as an actress. Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez are two immensely talented young actresses that are carving out a stronger name for themselves with each role they take. Rodriguez portrays the voice of fear and reason, which like Portman's performance somewhat mirrors an element of the audience's experience, being that of fear and discomfort. Thompson also mirrors an element of the experience, showing fear but also an acceptance of the beauty "the shimmer" provides. I may be crazy with this whole mirroring thing but it's how I personally connected to the characters so I found it worth mentioning. Rounding out the core women of the cast are Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tuva Novotny. Leigh's performance didn't do much for me, she serves her role well enough but doesn't really bring anything special to the table in this one. Novotny on the other hand impressed me quite a bit, delivering some really solid moments and managing to stand tall amongst a plethora of strong actors. In this film we also see a small but complicated performance from Oscar Isaac that serves the film strongly.
While the cast is fantastic, this film's focus is on its visuals and complex story. This is not a film to watch if you like closure or answers, it's a film that makes you ask questions and think. I'll be honest I don't fully understand this film, especially its conclusion, yet I find myself being more and more satisfied as I think about it and discuss it. I need to do some research and probably watch the film a second time before I can pass off a full and complete judgement of the film, but what I can say now is that it is the most challenging film I think I've ever seen in a theatre and it is undoubtedly a film I will be thinking about for a while. Beautiful, unsettling, and very complex and well worth the price of admission.
Current Rating: 4.5/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
This film sees a group of five women exploring "the shimmer," a strange phenomenon taking over an area surrounding a lighthouse. In this bizarre place they are mentally and physically put to the test and forced to question all that they know. I know that summary is vague but this is a really tough movie to describe, especially without spoiling it.
The main reason for my excitement leading up to the film was Alex Garland, the writer/director of the 2015 hit Ex Machina and writer of other sci-fi gems such as Sunshine, 28 Days Later, and Dredd. With this film Garland has proven himself as a talent to watch in both the writing and directing department as this film is truly fascinating. Garland takes a showing rather than telling approach to the story, and doesn't even show everything, which leads to a lot of questions with very few answers. I know for a fact this is something that will piss a lot of people off but I think it works really well. The film definitely has horror elements, but in one of the more horror-centric scenes I found myself not necessarily scared of the haunting imagery before me, but terrified by the uncertainty of what was to come next. The lack of understanding and strong sense of ambiguity Garland gives brings a layer of tension that courses through the film to the very end. Luckily for those that won't enjoy the style of storytelling, the visuals for the most part are satisfying on their own. The effects of "the shimmer" make for some breathtaking visuals, as well as some unsettling. There are one or two gruesome images that'll stick in your head but also many gorgeous shots and scenes. Somehow these beautiful images can also provide an unsettling feeling which is quite interesting. The score of the film is probably the biggest thing I have mixed feelings on. It consists of some beautiful haunting music that fits perfectly, as well as some guitar music that fits some scenes but sticks out like a sore thumb in others. I'd say for how the guitar music works in some scenes it can still be seen as a positive but I detracted from the film in some areas.
This cast is headlined by some really strong women that all do great work. I'm not a big Natalie Portman fan but the work she does is fascinating, as the amazement and confusion she shows almost mirrors what the audience is feeling at times. She brings a complex performance that does a great job highlighting her talents as an actress. Tessa Thompson and Gina Rodriguez are two immensely talented young actresses that are carving out a stronger name for themselves with each role they take. Rodriguez portrays the voice of fear and reason, which like Portman's performance somewhat mirrors an element of the audience's experience, being that of fear and discomfort. Thompson also mirrors an element of the experience, showing fear but also an acceptance of the beauty "the shimmer" provides. I may be crazy with this whole mirroring thing but it's how I personally connected to the characters so I found it worth mentioning. Rounding out the core women of the cast are Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tuva Novotny. Leigh's performance didn't do much for me, she serves her role well enough but doesn't really bring anything special to the table in this one. Novotny on the other hand impressed me quite a bit, delivering some really solid moments and managing to stand tall amongst a plethora of strong actors. In this film we also see a small but complicated performance from Oscar Isaac that serves the film strongly.
While the cast is fantastic, this film's focus is on its visuals and complex story. This is not a film to watch if you like closure or answers, it's a film that makes you ask questions and think. I'll be honest I don't fully understand this film, especially its conclusion, yet I find myself being more and more satisfied as I think about it and discuss it. I need to do some research and probably watch the film a second time before I can pass off a full and complete judgement of the film, but what I can say now is that it is the most challenging film I think I've ever seen in a theatre and it is undoubtedly a film I will be thinking about for a while. Beautiful, unsettling, and very complex and well worth the price of admission.
Current Rating: 4.5/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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