Overrated And Not The Smartest

Rating: 7/10 (14 April 2018)

I was really excited for this one because the concept looked interesting, I really like John Krasinski and Emily Blunt and it was getting rave reviews. This movie is definitely overrated and not nearly as smart as I wanted it to be. BUT I did have a good time.
First of all, the acting is great by most of the cast. Which is what makes it feel like even more of a waste that there wasn't great character development to go with the performances. This is probably my biggest issue with the movie. As far as I'm concerned, all the cheap jump scares, plot holes and dumb character decisions can be forgiven if I'm truly invested in the characters. I wasn't. There should've been much more time spent with the family and getting to know them. It just felt way too rushed. I think maybe they were trying to be relentless with the pacing but it just felt rushed. That powerful moment toward the end would've been so much more so if I was truly invested in the characters.
The first 30 minutes or so are really good. It's intense and they made the scenario much more plausible than I expected going in. Sure there's some heavy handedness but that could be forgiven. After that it becomes a pretty typical, generic horror movie. Jump scares, loud spikes in music and then the family, who we've been made to believe is so smart, start making some pretty dumb decisions. This was disappointing considering the pretty smart and intriguing setup we were given. And especially disappointing considering the reviews this was getting, declaring how smart it is and being compared to Get Out. This doesn't even touch Get Out on terms of directing, cleverness, writing and originality. Also, I don't think John Krasinski knows how to release and rebuild tension as a director. There are some great moments but that's about it. Critically I think this movie is a 5 but I'm giving it a 7 because I had a good personal experience and it is a fun movie.
Here are a couple of creative decisions I would like to have seen personally. Number one, I think the score should've been sparsely used, if ever at all. The first time we should've heard music was the dancing scene with the headphones. Second, I think that powerful scene towards the end should've been from the deaf girl's point of view, being completely silent. I think that would've been much more powerful.
Overall its fine and a fun watch but nothing too extraordinary at all. Check it out in a theater and I'm sure you won't feel like you've wasted time.