THE BAD BATCH (2017)

Written & Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour 
Cinematography By: Lyle Vincent 
Editor: Alex O’Flinn 


Cast: Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Diego Luna, Yolonda Ross, Keanu Reeves, Jim Carrey, Giovanni Ribisi 

A love story set in a community of cannibals in a future dystopia. In a desert wasteland in Texas, a muscled cannibal breaks one important rule: don't play with your food.

The film while inventive feels drawn out. As it takes it's time with a clearly recognizable story or at least the themes are. In between the big scenes it tries to take you on a journey through it's world. Where nothing much is explained, but the film wants us to explore more through the eyes of our main character and her experiences in this world, bit at least she knows what is happening or happens for the most part and rarely shares it with us. Leaving us to assume a lot.

As the characters seem rather passive for the most part until they have to show some kind of aggression or emotion to survive. The lead palmed by Suki Waterhouse seems. Ore lien a vessel to travel along. A stand-in of sorts for us. As she never comes across as a real character with any kind of emotions.

The film comes of as a mild sci-fi by way of burning man. As it is set in a dystopia future wasteland in the desert. Though it seems at times to resemble more a trashy festival of art, creativity and music. Or like a rundown beach town. As most of the extras wear their own clothes as they come from a beach community nearby.

The world it presents on film doesn't seem that big. So it never truly feels like the odyssey it wishes to present. Instead it constantly feels local.

The film seems to want the audience to figure things out more than explain. As there Isn’t too much explanation. So that it feels like the filmmaker wants you more to have an experience with the film rather than just watch and wait for an eventual conclusion.

As the film focuses on revenge and retrieval. It tries to offer a depth in a more exploitive at times artistic package that never seems to ever come to a full boil. Never truly even bubbling despite the heat. --That if it's meant to be deep or poetic seems lost and more aims to be an abstract cult movie rather than let the audience truly find it. Leaving them to find meaning in vagueness.

The film feels too long and seems to want the audience to have a reaction. As it seeks to be provocative, yet tame for a film about cannibals. It hints and shows the aftermath, but surprisingly isn't that action oriented or violent. Especially not in the form of gore. Even in the final confrontation it comes off as anti-climactic after a big build up.

The film seems to seek to be some kind of meditation. As most of the characters seem the type to do it. For instance we don't know what the so called normal world looks like that these bad batch characters are banished from. Nor is it really explained what makes them The bad batch. It seems more like an unregulated exile.

Keanu Reeves is the most memorable character in the movie. As a 1970's styled preacher, DJ and ladies man. Who appears to be some kind of cult leader. Whose followers are all women who are his bodyguards and concubines who are all pregnant it seems by him. Yet he is set up as a villain. You can see him as a force but he never quite seems that menacing. Though at least it’s nice to see him trying more daring and challenging roles.

Where as Jason Moama seems to be given sketches of a character, but seems like a character looking for the right movie to be in. For all the bad ass qualities they give him. He barely does anything with them and seems more in the background lurking. Though never given a scene to let it all out.

The film tries to show her though people do bad things. No one is completely good or bad. They do what they think is right at the time and try to find an inner peace as in times of desperation and survival morals can fly out the window or have a wider berth than normal.

For every inspired scene there seems to be excess. Like while watching Miami man and other muscle bound guys loft weights and pose. It's funny yet serves no real purpose. Just as when the main character starts tripping and hallucinations off of drugs.

The main character is a young woman. New to this land who starts out a victim and seeks revenge. Which seems to start this films cycle all off. Where she is hinted by Miami Man w cannibal who also has a graceful artistic ability.

What one can admire about the film is that it was mostly shot outdoors and on location. No sound stages and the film uses practical effects rather than digital. Which is disappearing in motion pictures rapidly. Especially when it comes to films of this scale

There seems to be a bunch of ideas here but barely any cohesiveness. It feels like a shortened and contained epic or like the characters, one that feels trapped and never becomes clear or can explain itself. As it seeks to find itself or purposely wants the audience to question or read into it. What they want to as an extension of their own thinking. It's all open to interpretation to make it truly seem like a piece of pop trash art. Where it seems to be digging for something but never quite finding it. Also hoping that someone will want to spend time finding meaning in this film.

By the end it feels like improv, while the film is putting in a performance and playing. It seems to be having more fun than us in the audience. Who are putting in work ourselves by constantly filling in or figuring out answers as placing what we see.


GRADE: C