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Algar's subtle performance involves the audience in her thoughts and feelings, flinching away from hideous depictions of rape on video while being stunned by a death right in front of her. Enid's tenacity is so complex that we can't help but lean into her, worrying about the people who circle around her with various shades of menace, from callous dismissal and sexism to vicious intentionality. And we also worry about her increasingly unhinged mental health. Of the fine supporting cast, Smiley has the most outrageous sequence.

Bailey-Bond's approach is bold and provocative, as she skilfully layers scenes with both resonant emotions and broader themes that feel even stronger today than they did 30 years before anyone said, "Me too." As the story progresses, the script grapples with the nature of the horror genre, especially in the relationship between directors and actors. And by playing on the impact movies have on viewers who identify with what happens on screen, Bailey-Bond finds some powerful things to say about society at large, all while giving us a proper scare.

themes, language, violence

27.Jul.21

The best thing about the film is the chemistry between the shy Mike and the tough Kelsey, played with offhanded charm by Brown and Duclos. Their interaction has a natural quality that makes up for the heightened craziness of the swarm of idiots around them, and the way they connect is genuinely involving. Each scene-stealing costar brings a bag of tricks along to beef up their role, throwing in wacky references, offbeat quirks and lots of yelling and shooting.

This is clearly a project made by a couple of buddies who have watched a lot of laddish action comedies and thought they could make one themselves. While the fights and chases are scruffy and hard to follow, Crosby and Knapp show talent as both writers and directors. So let's hope that if they decide to make another movie, they'll include a bit of depth and subtext that will make it stick in the mind longer than it takes for the final credits to roll.

themes, language, violence

28.Jul.21 slf

Kappel skilfully layers Bella's intelligence into each scene, carefully concealing it behind the rampant flirtation she must deploy to get noticed. She never flinches at the appalling fantasy costumes or requests to get naked, making it clear that she's doing this for a reason. So when her mask finally cracks, it's heartbreaking. Other characters run hot or cold, sometimes wavering between the two, leading to some outrageous conflicts that are augmented by potentially awkward couplings on-camera.

While the important central message will be obvious to most people long before they watch this film, Thyberg finds new ways to force us to confront this enormous industry, especially as Bella's encounters repeat in a bold variety of chilling scenarios. Yet while the film's approach has a firsthand experiential feel to it, the emotions remain controlled and inscrutable, eerily out of reach. So in the end this a bleak look at a young woman who sacrifices her soul for, well, nothing.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

28.Jul.21 slf