R Nika

Fantastic concept, horrible execution. I love the idea and I feel like it could have been done so terrifyingly well if they changed EVERYTHING. The actors were deeply “meh” and the characters were two-dimensional, uninteresting, and unrealistic. The cinematography was childish and mediocre, and the writing was all over the damn map. There was no consistent theme to the narrative and the timing was off so the beginning stretched out too long, the middle was jumpy and disjointed, and the “big finale” never really came. All-in-all, this movie was not worth the watch. It isn’t even entertaining enough to recommend for a one-and-done gore scare to pass the time. Sorry for the negative review, but it was pretty disappointing. :(

This is the first movie to every make my ugly-cry. It had me flipping from belly-laughing to openly sobbing and back again, and is by far of the most beautiful, meaningful movies I’ve seen in a long time. The costume design is exquisite and the cast could not have been more perfect, and other than an excruciatingly detailed plot that means you have to be fully present for every second in order to truly understand the movie, it is nearly flawless. As soon as I finished it I wanted to hug my mother and force her to watch it with me (which we plan on doing soon), and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

I’m a sucker for a good Indie Australian film — bonus points if it’s a natural horror movie; there aren’t enough out there — and this one exceeded my expectations. For a low-budget film, it’s really impressive. The acting overall is decent, and the CGI is not the worst I’ve seen. If you need something action-y, gory, and easy to watch, I highly recommend this! I had one complaint with the movie: *SPOILER FOR TW* _ _ _ _ _ The dog dies. This is a cheap scare and an overused trope, and it’s a big pet peeve. I watched the movie on YouTube, and if you don’t want to see/hear the death, I’d skip from 1:10-1:12 more or less, but I think the exact time depends on the platform you watch it on.

*Mild Spoilers* The first half of this movie is terrifying, and honestly one of the best horror movies I’ve I’ve seen. Then there’s a twist which adds in supernatural elements that kind of sucked me out of it. It’s so rare to find a good eco-horror film and the concept of cave-diving gone wrong is excellent and realistic and bone-chilling, and I wished they’d stuck with it. But the cinematography is great, the actors/characters (*especially* Juno) are wonderful, and overall it is absolutely worth the watch.

Great representation, but overall a mediocre movie. The animations, while fun, felt slightly disjointed, and there was something off about the movements and facial expressions of the people. The plot is predictable and unremarkable compared to other Disney movies, the writing is hardly a high point, it was strangely paced, and it was all slapstick humor without much depth. Overall, there was nothing particularly *special* about the movie. I watched it with my younger siblings (aged between 7-15 for reference) and we all agreed it was fine, but not something we’d rewatch. I’m genuinely not trying to rail this movie or anything. This is my honest opinion and friendly critique of it from someone who’s hardly a professional, and I’m pleased about an openly LGBTQ+ lead. It’s just missing the sparkle that other Disney movies have given. Hope this helps! :)