Written & Directed By: Sam Esmail
Based On The Book By: Rumaan Alam
Cinematography: Tod Campbell
Editor: Lisa Lassek
Cast: Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Marashala Ali, Myha’la, Kevin Bacon, Charlie Evans, Farrah Mackenzie
Amanda and Clay's aspirational vacation with their teenage children is interrupted by the arrival of a middle-aged man and his daughter who own the holiday home and who have fled an unprecedented blackout in the city. When the internet, television, and radio stop working, as does the landline, they have no way of finding out what is happening. As strange sonic booms shatter the peace of the countryside, and animals start to migrate in strange ways, the physical and mental health of the families begins to disintegrate. The renters are upscale and White; the owners are upscale and Black. The issues of race clash and become distractions to the more alarming things that are happening all around them.
I don’t know what it is with Netflix and taking these big movie stars who mostly were in romantic comedies in the 90s and 2000s and then putting them in these doomsday apocalyptic movies on their streaming service. One can understand It allows them some range and shows them in a new light, but you know is starting to feel like a certain concoction or formula.
By the end, the film feels like it kind of trolling the audience, especially when it comes to the daughter's storyline in a way it’s not a bad episode of the show BLACK MIRROR, but one that’s more disappointing because it has so much potential and ultimately, that is what this film feels like it has so much potential, but it feels stale to a certain extent.
Throughout the film, you know every scene is practically filled with tension, especially once the oil tanker hits the beach, so it always makes you feel uncertain. But throughout the film, there seems to be so much stuff that’s unresolved and we really don’t get to know too much about the stories of any of the characters.
I understand we’re being introduced to them pretty much as they introduced to each other but there still could’ve been some kind of development for the character's past.
Even when it comes to Mahrshala, here is this good gentleman but it always seems like he is hiding something which is a payoff, but not in the way that we thought it would be. And the film only truly comes alive when Kevin Bacon makes his kind of cameo in the film.
You know, we have the characters on a different kind of plot thread or character finally development for Julia Roberts, who starts off the film with his big monologue about how she dislikes people which is supposed to be shocking I guess especially when you used to be America, sweetheart, and then, by the end we see how much she actually does care and misses humanity, after being mean spirited for no reason throughout most of the film.
At times, they hint at racism, and some prejudices, which could also be easily seen as judgment of character. No, ultimately nothing really comes of it. It just seems there to be a kind of tease or to add attention in the audience is mine to the situation.
There feels like there could’ve been more done when it comes to Race relations with the characters in the movies, especially considering it is supposed to be Mahrshala Ali‘s house and yet he’s being made to feel like a visitor in his own home.
Myha’La seems only there to be kind of the whiny daughter trying to empower her father and also a bit of eye candy just to add another character to the mix.
We’re never quite sure what is going on and even by the end we’re still not we’re a little more informed, but we still it’s a mystery as to what exactly is happening kind of ambiguous, but it also seems a weird way to want to set up a more action pack sequel.
I guess one would expect more considering the film is written, and directed by Sam Esmail you know adapted from a novel, but he is the mastermind behind the show Mr. Robot amongst other shows so while he got the thriller elements right, it seemed like the characterization might’ve been like that show where it comes in bits and pieces but again he had multiple seasons when it came to that show with this movie you’ve only got a 2 1/2 hour running time And you know we care about the characters cause they're the protagonists. We barely know anything truly about them which works for the thriller elements, but the dramatic elements kind of feel like they drop the ball.
Like, why should we care about other human beings? The film works as an apocalyptic tale in minutiae.
Grade: C
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