Cory Briney

Short version? The first one was better. Plot was 100% garbage. Be warned, my biggest problem with the movie is at the bottom of this review and contains spoilers for the ending. The ending of the movie really ruined any chance this film had of collecting on its potential, which was struggling from a truly strange main character choice. Long version: The first scene of the film was brilliant. A distraught young man was portrayed in believable fashion for a riveting scene that needed no explanation. The twists were fantastic. I wish the whole movie was made like the first 4 minutes. After this, everything kind slopes downhill. Skye Riley is right away an unlikeable character before the true plot of the film is revealed. Not the actress, just the central character that the film revolves around is this rich pop star, also former drug addict, has an overbearing manager mother, and is launching a tour. All this is a recipe for disaster. As the film progresses we’re forced to endure more scenes of pop-stardom and choreography, which feels heavily self-inserted into the environment. The amount and length of song/dance performances on screen is irritating. I’m here to watch a scary movie, not whatever this director is selling. Secondly, we are forced to watch repeated “flash-backs” of an event that transpired in Skye Riley’s past. This wouldn’t be so bad except that it’s completely irrelevant to the plot, and listening to her wailing cries is not enjoyable even for horror lovers. Lastly, we find out that the event was her fault, making her even more unlikable than she already was unrelatable. As the movie goes on there are some decently scary scenes. Majority is cheap jumpscares, only the occasional smiling stranger. The worst is yet to come… SPOILERS: . At the end of the film we are held hostage alongside the main character as the film completely gaslights the entire audience. We’re told that everything that has happened, from an hour into the film’s 2-hour run time, wasn’t real. None of it happened. I understand a twist, but this completely derails the entire premise that was attempting to be built on with our “hero” Morris. It over-writes the whole second half of the film, invalidating dozens of scenes and violating what the viewer had built up the suspense with. It was infuriating to walk away from. 2 stars.