A Perfect Dichotomy in Film

Rating: 5/10 (25 January 2018)

This movie manages to perfectly ride the line between having some great aspects and some really horrible ones at the same time. The acting, cinematography and music are immaculate throughout the movie but it can't resuscitate the plot and confusing theme.
The tropes and cliches of the characters are so over the top during the first 1/2 that a theme of satire feels like its being presented but by the end under a barrage of underlying and overt social commentary it tries to demand you take them seriously in what feels like a campy, predictable twist of events. Definitely not horror, definitely not comical; Much more of a middle of the road thriller that is becomes easily forgettable with a glacially slow middle section, non-sensensical beginning and a walk-off-into-the-night ending. Much of the dialogue was forgettable and almost felt comically forced at times. The climax scenes considered horror weren't anything special at all. The only really great parts are the ones that obviously are a take on a Black Mirror episode.
Ultimately this movie comes across to me as a shell of an idea that they scripted and filled in voids with vapid social commentary and forced cliches. I still think there could have been 1,000 different ways they could have made this into a great movie and I really wanted it to live up to the hype. The heart of a great idea is there its just the execution and confusing plot, beginning, ending and tone that squanders it.
What I keep noticing in movies coming out recently is a penchant for hitting you over the head with information and forcing how you should feel rather than building character, theme and plot. Its really ineffective and lazy. I guess I just prefer more subtle psychological horror like The Shining or something like American History X where it doesn't forcibly spell out everything like we so much of in this Twitter generation.