I expected a lot from this film due to the director/writer's past works and it most certainly did not disappoint; it was a spectacular film. I wouldn't consider it a horror but it is most definitely a thriller. Very intense and suspenseful. A little gory and twisted though, so be wary if that isn't your thing (but don't let that let you miss out!)
The story of the film is not predictable and is quite complex in nature (in a good way, it is a mystery after all). It has many twists to it, especially towards the ending, which constantly had me second guessing the theories I'd created about what's what throughout film. Despite running for a full two and a half hours I didn't find myself losing focus or becoming bored at all. It definitely has no problems with immersion and having your full attention from start to finish. I even wish it was a little longer because the ending was confusing. However an ending that flat out pinpointed everything with no room for interpretation and discussion would take away from the mystery of the film and as we can see from the high rating I've given, the confusion I was left with did not ruin the film for me at all. To fully understand everything I'll probably have to rewatch the whole film (I would be very happy to do so) which seems to be a common occurrence with viewers, which is why I rated the rewatch value so high. Additionally, it'll be interesting to rewatch it and see what foreshadowing and little details etc were missed the first time around because I'm certain that there will be a lot more to be appreciated compared to the few I picked up. I'd also recommend looking up other viewer interpretations/explanations after you have finished the movie.
As you can probably guess by looking at some of the members of the cast, the acting in this film is really A++ with great character development and range displayed. Every member of the cast performs brilliantly. Despite the somewhat unrealistic circumstances in the film, it feels very realistic and as I've mentioned before, is very immersive, which the cast most definitely play a big part in.
This film has shot straight into my list of favourites and I 100% recommend it fans of the thriller genre and encourage any of you who are not to give this film a try. Don't let the long running time dissuade you, it really is worth sitting down and watching. I very much doubt you will be disappointed and couldn't recommend it more.
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