Jeff C

If you like films that are dark, atmospheric, ephemeral and dreamy, with light dialogue that can take you completely out of your reality and into theirs, then this movie is for you. Like other dark and highly aesthetic and ambient heavy films, with some of the most famous being Drive, Suspiria, The House That Jack Built, Enter The avoid, Donnie Darko, and more recently, Nocturnal Animals, this is a Film that can be interpreted in a very literal sense, or can be open to any number of theories or understandings, but it’s best to just enjoy the journey and turn off your mind. Some Films are more like a painting, or even a long music video, meant to simply carry you off into their beauty and artistry. Watch it with this in mind and you will likely love it.

Not sure why there are so many mediocre reviews, but, if I could guess, it’s due to people assuming this was supposed to be some sort of intellectual satire on internet fame, the vapid nature of e-celebs, and the dangers of constantly chasing after an audience. This movie surely satirizes all of the above, but it’s main purpose is to entertain. And, in that main focus it definitely succeeds. The cinematography, with nearly all being shot from the perspective of dash cams and cell phones, with live chat embedded into nearly every shot, perfectly mirrors the live, animated nature of internet culture and social media, and the action sequences are so captivating due to their live-leak aesthetic. What really sets the film apart, however, is the acting by the main character, who is able to capture what I can only imagine was the mindset and energy of spree killers such as the infamous Elliot R, who this character was most certainly (partially) based on. Desperate for love and popularity, but too awkward and average to ever attain it, we see the story of a young man spiraling into fame in the most horrifying way possible, all while maintaining a plastered on smile and his eyes on the camera. This is a satirical horror movie, and if it was perceived as such, it may have done much better. However, I predict this will remain a cult classic and go on to be a sort of timecapsule for this most vapid, empty cultural time in the west.