If only I wasn’t one of the watchers
This movie is what I imagine you get when you ask film students to make a movie using all the horror/thriller tropes they can fit into 2 hours. If this was the goal of the watchers it gets an A.
There was not one frame of this movie that made me think wow that was interesting. If I wasn’t sitting in a cinema, I could have sworn I had seen this movie before. It is the worst kind of regurgitation because it wasn’t even fun. There was no quirky elements, it was serious in its assertion that it was new.
An example of these tropes is the old lady who is mysterious, white haired and slightly witchy. She know more than everyone, but at the same time doesn’t know what is going on. It all depends on if the script needs the information. You have the guy who is angry and impulsive and gets everyone in trouble. There is the lady in love, and her attachment risks the group.
Then you have the main character who is complicated, and has a tragic past that makes her complex. She’s a little headstrong but underneath…blah blah blah. Mina, played by Dakota Fanning is a study in how to badly write a complex character.
The short version of it is its been 15 years since her mother died, and she feels responsible. Throughout the movie it pops up, and is resolved by the end. But…there is no link to the movie and no reason why it should be resolved. Maybe trauma caused her to think about it but it is tenuous at best.
Also in the back in time shots she calls her mother, mother. As in mother what are you doing. To note these people aren’t rich and nothing else says she would call her mother. It’s just an attempt to be interesting, and it is just odd. Also she is a twin, because twins are suspenseful.
I hope Dakota Fanning took this role because she got to spend time in Ireland. One of these stars is purely based on the beauty of the scenery. There were a number of times that the scenery broke through and really stole the show. The other half was because I didn't walk out and as per the below rating scale I really didn’t have another choice.
This very much felt like your standard M. Night Shyamalan movie, with twist at the end. And the twist was bad, the movie really felt like it was done and I didn’t care any more. Then came the twist which will make you annoyed because of course, and again it doesn’t do anything to the story.
Oh wait, this wasn’t an M. Night Shyamalan film. It was directed by his daughter Ishana Shyamalan and she is a nepo carbon copy.
There isn’t much to this movie, nothing is new. The myth and folklore is very important to the story, but is not delved into. No drama is built, it seems like distinct scenes that just land one after the other. And there are obvious plot movers that were put in to move it along but stick out like a sore thumb. In stead of writing the story to move itself you put in these things. An example is the hatch under the rug, which they only discover just in time. They have been stuck there for a year and that’s the only time you noticed?
I am trying to help give you a sense of this movie but there isn’t much there. No suspense, no character development and no point. Here is the movie in a sentence: Girl gets trapped in the forrest with mythical creatures, gets out and one follows her out. The end.
One las thing, throughout the movie she keeps a bird in a way to small cage. As an avian admirer this really bothered me, do not do that. Also the bird was an accessory for 3 mins of action in the movie. Again, why the bird is important feels like it is shoe horned in, and if you step back doesn’t make sense.
I watched this one as a sacrifice, so you don’t have to.
Byron
Star Rating Guide
1 Star: Unable to sit through the movie.
2 Stars: Could force myself to watch it, but not pleased about it.
3 Stars: Enjoyable for a watch, won’t watch again.
4 Stars: Enjoyable, and will be watching it again.
5 Stars: Loved it, can’t wait to see it again.
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