zoozersadd

So minimal, and never lays out its exposition clearly. Some people are pegging this as a comedy, which doesn't make much sense to me. It's absurdist, for sure. Surreal, most definitely. Comedy? That's pushing it. It's an exploration of an alternate universe, almost. Nothing is shoved in your face. The performances, the camera, and the story all float gracefully. We're given puzzle pieces and then given the respect to assemble the puzzle ourselves. And I'm sure some people will assemble it differently from me, even. Lanthimos is doing work like no one else. It's bizarre, but never boring. It's high art, but never pretentious. Can't wait to see where he takes us next.

I'd go with a bat, most likely.

First off this movie isn't for everyone. That's for sure. It's challenging and never gives the audience what they expect. The director has somehow made something that doesn't feel like a genre film, but includes elements from past and present supernatural films. It's got a timeless quality. You're never quite sure what's real and what is not. There are moments of genuine fear, and moment of genuine laugh out loud humor. But it's never easy. I almost feel like it needs to be watched twice. Moments come and go, and I know there's much more going on here than I could have caught the first time through, that's for sure. It's layers of paranoia and the effects of mental illness. No cheap shots, no jump scares. People may dismiss it, but there's a lot going on here.

It feels like something I've never seen before.

I loved everything about this film. An angry young mortgage worker starts to get into trouble with his scams and basically goes off on the world. Shot in MI (I think) with the bad side of Detroit on display. Lots of metal music and horror homages. Super cool through and through. Very funny characters, but not too wacky or intentional. They seem like real guys from my high school (even though they're probably in their late 20s.) Its funny sometimes, and dark and weird a lot of other times. A great blend that doesn't really fit into any genre. I was lucky enough to catch it at SXSW in my hometown, and cant wait to show my friends once it comes back to town. No romance no gushy crap!