andrea

Give this one a try even if you don't think you'll like it. I can understand why the reviews are swayed and nearly every platform gives it a 60% rating. It leaves a few questions unanswered and some of the scenes are rather difficult to stomach, but I think this film was brilliant. I don't usually watch upsetting films like this because I don't like to be emotionally crushed by a movie, but I think this one gets a pass. It's not one of those movies that is uncomfortable just to be uncomfortable or edgy, but every part of it serves a purpose. There's no unnecessary "artsiness" that I'm sick of seeing in films today. I don't understand why some audiences found it to be drawn out and boring in the middle, or as if Lynch didn't know what direction to take it in. I believe she knew exactly what she was doing as it was all building up to the ending. And speaking of the ending, yes there are a few questions that could have been answered, but I still think the overall message of the film comes across very clearly. While the younger child actor wasn't as convincing in his performance, the older version of him was immaculate. Vincent D'Onofrio is the perfect villain as always. Like I said, give this one a try even if you don't think you'll like it. I am usually not a fan of anything like this but I ended up enjoying it and am going to recommend it to my friends.

This movie clearly has mixed reviews, so I'll help you decide if you actually want to watch. This movie is for you if you enjoy beautiful camerawork, harsh lighting, a dramatic synthwave soundtrack, and it probably helps if you like The Weeknd. If you enjoy shows like Euphoria or anything involving the manic pixie dream girl trope, this film is for you. I'm not bashing anyone's taste, people like what they like. However... This is a classic example of wasted potential. The camera department did an incredible part on their end and delivered stunning cinematography. Honestly, it seems like everyone did a great job except for the writers...and Abel. I used to be a huge fan of the Weeknd and started listening to him when his Trilogy mixtape released over a decade ago. I'm not so much of a fan anymore because he stopped standing out. His songs are the same thing over and over again: "you're hot, i'm toxic, you can totally change me, no actually you can't because i'm a slave to sex and drugs, trust me babe i'm just an emotional guy who's just hurt inside, sorry babe i actually can't control it i'll never change" and the cycle repeats. You get the point. This feels like a way for Abel to try and humanize himself but was also just a huge promo for his music. Why does he always have to play himself in every role? Why can't he just play an actual character? He has become so tiresome and a one-trick pony. I'm so tired of the fame, drugs, and toxic love trope. It's so overdone, it's not dramatic, it's not heavy or meaningful, it's not deep or psychologically provocative--it's fucking boring is what it is. Also, who are these characters and why am I supposed to care about them? They are flatter than roadkill. Abel needs to learn that maybe not everyone who watches his movies will know who he is. All that time we spent listening to his album could've been spent on a character arc. I can tell Jenna was really trying but had nothing to work with so she also came off flat. We don't even know her name, Abel said it maybe twice. I have a feeling Barry enjoys playing characters like that and in a way looks up to them so he really put all his energy into Lee. It's just another movie that thinks it's good because of the subject matter it contains, but it doesn't understand how to organize any of that information. Movies aren't good because of their stories but because of how they tell their stories. This actually could have been a good one and if it was I may have hopped back on the Weeknd train, but this has proven to me once again that Abel is another Hollywood hotshot trying to humanize himself. Instead it's giving Charli D'Amelio "working" the register at Walmart or Shane Dawson when he says "i'm poor." Extra star was given for the crew's effort.