Purely and Utterly Genius

Rating: 10/10 (12 May 2016)

The Number 23 is a well-paced, cunning thriller that has you on the edge of your seat almost the entire time. With great performances by Jim Carrey and Virgonia Madsen, the story of Walter Sparrow, a local animal control officer, turns dark when he is bitten by a dog, making him late to pick up his wife, Agatha, in front of a used book store. Tired of waiting, she decides to go inside. She finds a book titled "The Number 23: A Novel of Obsession," written by a mysterious man that goes by the name of Topsy Kretts. After skimming through the book, she decides to buy it for Walter as a birthday gift. Walter, hoping it is a fun read, finds the sinister twists it has to offer, while implanting the number 23 in his head. He starts obsessing over the number, trying his relationship with Agatha, and pushing on his mental stability. This movie is geniusly created, showing close to no signs of 23 in the beginning, and toward the end, every small corner you may turn to, there is a new 23 just waiting to happen. From colors to the alphabet to dialogue, 23 is shown in every place it can.