Completely bonkers in a way one is likely to love or hate but unlikely to feel indifferent to

Rating: 9/10 (30 October 2019)

This strange horror film is centred on a young woman; she is married to an older man. He is a poet and she works to repair their home, which was previously damaged by a fire. The house is remote but one day a man turns up claiming to have mistaken it for a guest house. The poet invites him to stay the night against his wife's wishes. The next day the man's wife arrives, she almost immediately starts asking our protagonist awkward questions and makes her feel uncomfortable; still the poet won't make them leave. Things only get worse when the guests' two sons arrive; they fight and one is accidentally fatally injured... the nightmare is just beginning.
I suspect this is one of those films that viewers are likely to really love or really hate but are very unlikely to consider 'merely okay'. The sense of unease is gradually introduced but quickly escalates to an early act of violence. Then things relax and appears to bet better before turning to a nightmare. There are plenty of scenes that are likely to disturb the viewer; especially towards the end. The young wife, played brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence, is rarely off screen is clearly uncomfortably and that feeling is likely to be shared by the viewer. The story may be a biblical allegory; something that isn't immediately obvious but grows increasingly apparent but you don't need to be religious to get it. As mentioned before Lawrence is great; she is supported by Javier Bardem who is equally fine in the more ambiguous role of her husband; a character who enjoys the adulation of his fans to the point that he neglects his wife. The rest of the cast are sold too. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody who likes their horror more than a little bit weird.