Top positive review
4.0 out of 5 starsNot for everyone...IT'S THAT GOOD!
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2019
I'll tell you right off, one of the things I particularly enjoyed, most people will dislike intensely; the pacing. It is often slow as molasses, deliberate, yes, but it's intentional and it delivers! Sure, it's a 'slow-burn,' but once it gets cooking, the burn may be slow, but it's a continuous one, and, this happens top be, perhaps, one of the best edited horror films I've seen in a long time. To be sure, there's good out-and-out horror, but what makes this film better than most of the crap the masses go crazy for, is how chilling and disturbing the less obvious, quieter moments are in this original, well-crafted story; one I believe, deliberately not spoon-fed. Director, John Knautz, maintains a constant, overall, sense of uneasiness, which, in my opinion, is what the genre is all about., The dialogue (Screenplay by Mr. Knautz and Alexis Kinda) is smart; and, at times, thank god, witty; another invaluable asset to a first rate thriller. Having the "normal" characters speak realistically, emphasizes the tortured and violent ways the more, shall we say, unsavory characters communicate. I have one criticism; something I'm ambivalent to mention. This is not a spoiler. It has to do with the plot. It was a stretch to believe (not intellectually, as it can be explained, but as a plausible story point) how a beautiful and smart, albeit, uncentered and stressed, woman would welcome someone a stranger like Shelly into their lives (on so many levels) so quickly. Itt's fine for a character to feel empathy for someone less fortunate, granted, but it may have made the story more believable if Shelly didn't appear as if she just escaped from a high-level security insane asylum and exchanged her dirty hospital gown for an even less attractive outfit. It's a small quibble when you consider the character of Shelly, played by Rachel Aleg, who doesn't so much act the role as inhabit it. You can't take your eyes off her whenever she's on screen, and every line, or, I should say, every word she utters, is fascinating. Watch her eyes, when and where they focus. It's a mesmerizing performance, though I'm certain some reviews will say Ms Alig can't act her way out of a paper bag. (Oh, really?) I wondered if the if deeply disturbed character is named Shelly and, honestly, looks pretty much as disheveled and disturbed as Shelly DuVall does today, How one of the most uniquely gifted actors to grace modern cinema could disintegrate to such a level; friendless uncared for, and painfully unstable, only to wind up being exploited by the likes of Dr. Phil, is a true Hollywood scandal. I have to say, if the plight of Ms Duvall had anything to do with naming the character Shelly, - shame on you! . But it doesn't mean it's not an accomplished work by any means.
