"The last of us"
*Originally written July 12th, 2017*
I'm having trouble calculating my thoughts
towards It Comes at Night. On one hand it's a wonderfully shot and
atmospheric piece, while on the other it's a frustrating exercise that
left me feeling really cold.
I have to give it credit for its minimalist approach to a post-apocalyptic America that has been ravaged by an unknown disease. There are clear influences from recent films and other media with the same premise, The Road and The Last of Us are the two that sprang to mind.
There's a story of paranoia somewhere as a new family are introduced early in the film to live with the main family in an attempt at surival. It's just a shame that there never give us a reason to care about any of these characters. Aside from the dog, I couldn't remember a name of a single character. We learn nothing about these characters, nor was there anything interesting about them to make them feel compelling at all. The performances are decent for the most part, Joel Edgerton is always great it seems, even if his character is completely cardboard.
It is beautifully shot at least, and the score is foreboding and unsettling. We also get some really disturbing and grotesque images that I wasn't expecting. The cinematography is gorgeous though, making use of the singular location setting without feeling repetitive at all. I loved the look and lighting of the whole film, everything felt and looked natural. It's just a shame the film ruins its tense moments by building it to an annoying jump-scare on several occassions.
While being 90 minutes long is usually a plus for me with a film, I wish they took more time to develop some of the stuff on screen and explain it. So much here is frustratingly ambigious, leaving far more questions than answers. That said, it really was a quick watch, it was over before I knew it as the film abruptly ends with an ending as frustrating as the rest of the film.
I wish I had more to say about It Comes at Night, but there just wasn't a lot here for me to say. I'll probably watch it again at some point, I'd like to after my initial thoughts have cleared, but for now, despite its pluses, I left the cinema frustrated and annoyed, which is a shame because I was so ready to love this.
5/10 Dans
It Comes at Night is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews, @DanBremner96 and @ArronRoke91
Instagram: @DanBremner96 and @ArronRoke
YouTube: Figment Reviews
Letterboxd: Dan and Arron
Facebook
I have to give it credit for its minimalist approach to a post-apocalyptic America that has been ravaged by an unknown disease. There are clear influences from recent films and other media with the same premise, The Road and The Last of Us are the two that sprang to mind.
There's a story of paranoia somewhere as a new family are introduced early in the film to live with the main family in an attempt at surival. It's just a shame that there never give us a reason to care about any of these characters. Aside from the dog, I couldn't remember a name of a single character. We learn nothing about these characters, nor was there anything interesting about them to make them feel compelling at all. The performances are decent for the most part, Joel Edgerton is always great it seems, even if his character is completely cardboard.
It is beautifully shot at least, and the score is foreboding and unsettling. We also get some really disturbing and grotesque images that I wasn't expecting. The cinematography is gorgeous though, making use of the singular location setting without feeling repetitive at all. I loved the look and lighting of the whole film, everything felt and looked natural. It's just a shame the film ruins its tense moments by building it to an annoying jump-scare on several occassions.
While being 90 minutes long is usually a plus for me with a film, I wish they took more time to develop some of the stuff on screen and explain it. So much here is frustratingly ambigious, leaving far more questions than answers. That said, it really was a quick watch, it was over before I knew it as the film abruptly ends with an ending as frustrating as the rest of the film.
I wish I had more to say about It Comes at Night, but there just wasn't a lot here for me to say. I'll probably watch it again at some point, I'd like to after my initial thoughts have cleared, but for now, despite its pluses, I left the cinema frustrated and annoyed, which is a shame because I was so ready to love this.
5/10 Dans
It Comes at Night is out now in cinemas in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
Follow us:
Twitter: @FigmentReviews, @DanBremner96 and @ArronRoke91
Instagram: @DanBremner96 and @ArronRoke
YouTube: Figment Reviews
Letterboxd: Dan and Arron
No comments:
Post a Comment