I watched this looking for something goofy to pass the time and was shocked by the film. It seems clear that the distributor either misunderstands what it has or has calculated that using false marketing tactics will lead to more sales.
In actuality, writer-director Chris von Hoffmann's film is a prestige piece of social commentary that uses horror as a device to get to a resolution. It skewers actors and Hollywood types in almost parody that nods to classical horror tropes but keeps them at a distance before an absolutely bizarre climax. Yes, I was disappointed that the demon girl on the poster (and in the trailer) has nothing to do with the film...
Ok, ok so what did I love about this one? I loved the performances! Radha Mitchell OMG what an incredible actress. I've seen her for a while but always felt like she was a bit of an afterthought playing lots of thankless roles. Here she's in the drivers seat of what is at once a terrifying and hilarious performance.
Timothy Granaderos, who seems on the cusp of a breakout, plays well off of Mitchell
Emile Hirsch seemed to enjoy himself greatly and played a great foil as the counter to Timothy's serious method actor-ing. His contribution includes a very memorable scene with a great twist about midway through the film
The production quality far exceeded films in its lane and all in all I was impressed with its originality. I'm not quite sure what to compare it to but I was definitely pleased with the experience.
There's a lot more to talk about: religious themes, mother-son psycho-dynamics, social media commentary, and a Twilight zone esque sense of reality... but I'll stop short of spoiling anything
My biggest beef was with a undercooked visual effects sequence. Here and a few other places, the film ventured into "cheap territory"... otherwise I was a fan!
In actuality, writer-director Chris von Hoffmann's film is a prestige piece of social commentary that uses horror as a device to get to a resolution. It skewers actors and Hollywood types in almost parody that nods to classical horror tropes but keeps them at a distance before an absolutely bizarre climax. Yes, I was disappointed that the demon girl on the poster (and in the trailer) has nothing to do with the film...
Ok, ok so what did I love about this one? I loved the performances! Radha Mitchell OMG what an incredible actress. I've seen her for a while but always felt like she was a bit of an afterthought playing lots of thankless roles. Here she's in the drivers seat of what is at once a terrifying and hilarious performance.
Timothy Granaderos, who seems on the cusp of a breakout, plays well off of Mitchell
Emile Hirsch seemed to enjoy himself greatly and played a great foil as the counter to Timothy's serious method actor-ing. His contribution includes a very memorable scene with a great twist about midway through the film
The production quality far exceeded films in its lane and all in all I was impressed with its originality. I'm not quite sure what to compare it to but I was definitely pleased with the experience.
There's a lot more to talk about: religious themes, mother-son psycho-dynamics, social media commentary, and a Twilight zone esque sense of reality... but I'll stop short of spoiling anything
My biggest beef was with a undercooked visual effects sequence. Here and a few other places, the film ventured into "cheap territory"... otherwise I was a fan!