Everything about this movie is "okay". The story, the characters, etc. are all okay. None of it is bad. But none of it is fantastic either. It does the bare minimum a good movie should do. Good acting. Good writing. Good pacing. Good filming. Good editing. From a technical, movie 101 perspective, everything is textbook and it doesn't make any huge mistakes.
However, where the movie prevents itself from being very good, is in the following two things:
1. Ruins one very good opportunity and turns it into a pointless plot device. Midway through, a discovery is made which raises the stakes tremendously. From that point, the film could have done something very good. But in the end it's rendered useless as the plot jumps onto something else. And the villain emerges with very unconvincing motive.
2. It's a carbon-copy of a much better movie called Wind River (2017). I couldn't help but notice the similar look/feel within the first few minutes. The setting, the music and how the story opens was very similar. And much to my disappointment, the borrowing of ideas didn't stop there. The rest of the movie is practically the same. So if I could recommend one thing, is to go and watch the that other movie (Wind River) instead. Wind River is everything that this movie wishes it could be. In every department, that movie is fantastic.
However, where the movie prevents itself from being very good, is in the following two things:
1. Ruins one very good opportunity and turns it into a pointless plot device. Midway through, a discovery is made which raises the stakes tremendously. From that point, the film could have done something very good. But in the end it's rendered useless as the plot jumps onto something else. And the villain emerges with very unconvincing motive.
2. It's a carbon-copy of a much better movie called Wind River (2017). I couldn't help but notice the similar look/feel within the first few minutes. The setting, the music and how the story opens was very similar. And much to my disappointment, the borrowing of ideas didn't stop there. The rest of the movie is practically the same. So if I could recommend one thing, is to go and watch the that other movie (Wind River) instead. Wind River is everything that this movie wishes it could be. In every department, that movie is fantastic.