Twice in a row. Unbelievable.

Rating: 3/10 (2 November 2014)

This is the first movie I've seen since Gone Girl. And, much like Gone Girl, I went in with high expectations only to be shocked that people actually like the movie. Also like Gone Girl, this is primarily due to the ending which, again like Gone Girl, has a character that the entire movie spends establishing as an unlikeable piece of **** winning. Now, with Gone Girl, I was also critical because said character won for stupid reasons. Here? There weren't any stupid reasons about it, but the ending was... the movie sorta just stopped. No major developments, not much happening in the aftermath of the climax, it just ends. It was the kind of ending that makes you think "did they just run out of script?" rather than anything positive. You can't do that! The ending is the note you're sending your audience home on! The impression the ending leaves is gonna be their impression of the movie!
And you know what the worst thing is? THIS CHARACTER IS THE PROTAGONIST. I AM UPSET THAT THE PROTAGONIST WON. The entire second and third act, I wanted nothing more than for him to get his comeuppance, and that never happens. And it's not because he does immoral things, that's beside the point, I'm actually quite fond of the villain protagonist trope, but no matter what your protagonist needs to be likable, and if not he needs to get what's coming to him! Otherwise, you fail at storytelling! And besides that, the acting is "meh," the dialogue is "meh" and while I will say it was shot really well, that's not enough to save a movie. In conclusion, dammit, Hollywood, stop pissing me off with your endings.