A Nightmare-ish journey through the psyche

Rating: 7/10 (2 November 2016)

I had to sit on this movie for a while before I could put into words my feelings on it. This film is terrifying and provoking in many many ways.
I think the best thing the movie has to offer is the editing and the way colors are used to describe literally everything but still stay ambiguous. The clash of white/black shows the many ways characters are behaving or what their intentions are and it all fits somewhat inside of the story of the Swan Lake.
The pacing of the story is also great. It never feels like it's slowing down and even the parts that are the slowest still feel important and add to the story. Never loses it focus and it is enjoyable the entire time.
Another thing is the acting. Portman delivers the best performance of her career and shows us a girl who goes from mostly innocent to twisted and insane. It's so great and is complemented by a solid set of supporting characters. Kunis does a great job owning whatever scene she's in and is fun to watch. Cassel plays a twisted instructor with inappropriate intentions and he's creepy throughout but in a good way.
Overall it's a great film following the insanity of the lead in a way I haven't seen before. So many things in the movie add to the entire picture and watching it multiple times will have you noticing even more things than the first time.