There are too many things in this movie that are obviously forced and not well thought out for the plotline the creators were trying to convey and the emotions they were equally trying to create within the viewer.
The problems all start in the beginning of this story. You don't meet the villain and have enough time with him to have any type of insight into him nor create empathy with the MC, Cecilia played by Elizabeth Moss. But let me stop here and commend Elizabeth Moss on her acting. If there's one thing positive about this movie, she did a phenomenal job acting at times when she was wrestling against an invisible foe. As did many of the other actors and actresses. Ms. Moss also did her best with what she was given and I commend her on that, but the writing and internal consistency and logic fell short for me. I know at times you're supposed to turn your brain off to enjoy things, but when minor details are obviously forced to try to manipulate a story and force the plot, it's pretty obvious.
As said, if the beginning had provided a different viewpoint, I might have grown more invested in the story and overlooked some of the silliness. There's a point in the story where Cecilia is framed for murder by the villain and I told my wife at that point that if the story had likely started there, I would have been invested without caring about seeing the aforementioned abusive relationship.
There are other elements such as the story wants me to believe this obsessive compulsive controlling ex-boyfriend will go to such extremes to torture his ex-girlfriend, but somehow Cecilia managed to befriend another male whom she's able to flee to immediately after escaping said overly obsessive compulsive controlling boyfriend? When was she able to meet this over six-foot tall, muscular, athletic, intimidating (her own words) man? As a guy, I could tell you that even guys who aren't insane obsessive compulsive controlling boyfriends and secure in their relationship would question their girlfriends befriending a guy like that. And no, before someone wants to call it insecurity, she's in such a relationship with this other man that it's intimacy with out the romantic and sexual intimacy. She's so close to this other guy that she professes love for his college age daughter? My point, again, is that unless said guy is already a friend of the couple which disarms alarm of any other normal guy who would be in a relationship with her, somehow we're supposed to believe that this insanely controlling ex-boyfriend stood by while she befriended this intimidating other male?
I know in society today, the above alone rubs some people the wrong way, but if you think men and women aren't intimidated by other men and women getting in relationships with their significant others, then you're quite naïve. It happens all of the time. Even with women. So don't go to the "Insecure male" stereotype and think about it. Think about the women who just harmlessly asked in probing, "Who was that lady you were talking to on the phone?" and such.
Apart from that, there were other forced and question raising things that diminished the story for me.
Then there was the lack of information that I mentioned in the beginning. For about 15 or so minutes, my wife and I were trying to figure out who the aforementioned male friend was and what his relationship was to Cecilia. I kept vacillating between platonic friend or someone she was in a romantic relationship with until my wife pointed out that she slept in the room with the guy's daughter. But we didn't get that revelation until well into the movie when the villain decided to show (well through actions) himself.
Then finally there's the entire plot itself. It's quit unbelievable and the MC herself asks the overarching question to the villain, "Why me? You could've had any other woman?" So, why her? As I stated above, we're led to believe that this guy is so insanely obsessive to the point that it's compulsive for him, he can't control himself but to control others, specifically her and he just can't let her go. I know there are people like this in the world, let me reiterate, THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THIS (AS IN MEN AND WOMEN, NOT JUST MEN), but I cannot for the life of me believe beyond fictional representation of such people, that either control freaks would go to such extremes. Especially given the man had plenty of other ways to torture his ex should he chose to do so. He had money, he had resourced, heck if you watch the movie, he had willing family who would go along with any of his plots, yet he chose this route?
In other words, the story feels like it's missing a necessary element that would glue all of this together and make it even believable enough to suspend the proper amount of disbelief to remove questions.
The problems all start in the beginning of this story. You don't meet the villain and have enough time with him to have any type of insight into him nor create empathy with the MC, Cecilia played by Elizabeth Moss. But let me stop here and commend Elizabeth Moss on her acting. If there's one thing positive about this movie, she did a phenomenal job acting at times when she was wrestling against an invisible foe. As did many of the other actors and actresses. Ms. Moss also did her best with what she was given and I commend her on that, but the writing and internal consistency and logic fell short for me. I know at times you're supposed to turn your brain off to enjoy things, but when minor details are obviously forced to try to manipulate a story and force the plot, it's pretty obvious.
As said, if the beginning had provided a different viewpoint, I might have grown more invested in the story and overlooked some of the silliness. There's a point in the story where Cecilia is framed for murder by the villain and I told my wife at that point that if the story had likely started there, I would have been invested without caring about seeing the aforementioned abusive relationship.
There are other elements such as the story wants me to believe this obsessive compulsive controlling ex-boyfriend will go to such extremes to torture his ex-girlfriend, but somehow Cecilia managed to befriend another male whom she's able to flee to immediately after escaping said overly obsessive compulsive controlling boyfriend? When was she able to meet this over six-foot tall, muscular, athletic, intimidating (her own words) man? As a guy, I could tell you that even guys who aren't insane obsessive compulsive controlling boyfriends and secure in their relationship would question their girlfriends befriending a guy like that. And no, before someone wants to call it insecurity, she's in such a relationship with this other man that it's intimacy with out the romantic and sexual intimacy. She's so close to this other guy that she professes love for his college age daughter? My point, again, is that unless said guy is already a friend of the couple which disarms alarm of any other normal guy who would be in a relationship with her, somehow we're supposed to believe that this insanely controlling ex-boyfriend stood by while she befriended this intimidating other male?
I know in society today, the above alone rubs some people the wrong way, but if you think men and women aren't intimidated by other men and women getting in relationships with their significant others, then you're quite naïve. It happens all of the time. Even with women. So don't go to the "Insecure male" stereotype and think about it. Think about the women who just harmlessly asked in probing, "Who was that lady you were talking to on the phone?" and such.
Apart from that, there were other forced and question raising things that diminished the story for me.
Then there was the lack of information that I mentioned in the beginning. For about 15 or so minutes, my wife and I were trying to figure out who the aforementioned male friend was and what his relationship was to Cecilia. I kept vacillating between platonic friend or someone she was in a romantic relationship with until my wife pointed out that she slept in the room with the guy's daughter. But we didn't get that revelation until well into the movie when the villain decided to show (well through actions) himself.
Then finally there's the entire plot itself. It's quit unbelievable and the MC herself asks the overarching question to the villain, "Why me? You could've had any other woman?" So, why her? As I stated above, we're led to believe that this guy is so insanely obsessive to the point that it's compulsive for him, he can't control himself but to control others, specifically her and he just can't let her go. I know there are people like this in the world, let me reiterate, THERE ARE PEOPLE LIKE THIS (AS IN MEN AND WOMEN, NOT JUST MEN), but I cannot for the life of me believe beyond fictional representation of such people, that either control freaks would go to such extremes. Especially given the man had plenty of other ways to torture his ex should he chose to do so. He had money, he had resourced, heck if you watch the movie, he had willing family who would go along with any of his plots, yet he chose this route?
In other words, the story feels like it's missing a necessary element that would glue all of this together and make it even believable enough to suspend the proper amount of disbelief to remove questions.