It's been awhile since I've seen a movie that started off quite promisingly only to go so absurdly off-the-rails. It's certainly a well-directed film with a strong grasp on tone and boasts a number of striking visuals and a haunting score. The first act was especially strong and, despite its dark content, evoked a sense of realism. Sadly, this is a quality that the film seemed to progressively lose with each passing minute, ultimately stumbling into a third act that felt completely forced and even nonsensical. The key character arc of the film just didn't work, plain and simple. His character wasn't established or developed enough to justify his actions and the result was a finale that felt hollow and exploitative. The movie takes itself incredibly seriously and for awhile it seems like it may justify that seriousness with something of substance. Instead, the effect is akin to a teen with a joint in his mouth saying "whoa man, super dark times. like, super dark." It's hard to even look at the title of the film without smirking now. Wish I could give it a higher score for its undeniable strengths, but alas that third act casts too dark a shadow. At the very least I can see this director going on to do some cool things, especially if he can get his hands on a better script.
Strong 2/5
Strong 2/5