Lean, tight, and well-paced

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2016)

I guess I expected something different than what I got (expected more of a horror film), but after coming to terms with what it was and what it was not, I thought this was really good. Saulnier had a really fantastic handle on the film's pace and tone, and I think the screenplay is really lean and tight and, surprisingly, very smart. I think the film's dialogue was a strength whereas with other films of this type its their weakest. The acting was also uniformly very good. It's mostly kind of a simple, run-of-the-mill thriller, but it also has a lot of interesting touches that I found very inspired. The uneasiness and uncertainty of the entire climax and the ending felt really earned, and showing the other side of things (Patrick Stewart and Macon Blair). I don't think the villains came off stereotypically, and I think the whole film was handled nicely.