Divinity

I watched Divinity (2023) in theaters this evening. The storyline delves into a futuristic society where a new serum grants immortality, but at the cost of rendering people unable to have children. When the serum's creator is kidnapped one night, it raises questions about the secrets he holds that led to these actions.

Directed and written by Eddie Alcazar (Perfect) and starring Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap), Stephen Dorff (Blade), Bella Thorne (Blended), Karrueche Tran (Claws) and Caylee Cowan (Willy's Wonderland).

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It evoked shades of several other films such as Infinity Pool, Logan's Run Sin City, and Equilibrium. It's a clever and unique addition to the science fiction/horror genre, with an excellent villain transformation sequence that casts a shadow over the entire film. The concept is highly original, and the setup is intriguing. The film boasts some intense fight and bite scenes, with one fight sequence that I enjoyed but had to deduct points for. 😂 However, the absolute ending is pure science fiction gold.

In summary, Divinity is a movie that will likely find its passionate admirers and harsh critics, but as a fan of new science fiction concepts, I thought it was worthwhile. I would rate it a 8/10 and strongly recommend it.

If you wish you lived in a parallel universe where in the early 1990s, Paul Verhoeven had smoked a lot of weed, then made a low-budget black and white mashup of Eraserhead, Crimes of the Future (1970), and How to Talk to Girls at Parties, Divinity will likely be your dream made flesh. Lumpy, misshapen flesh, covered in grotesque goo.

If even one of those elements gives you mixed or negative feelings, Divinity will probably not be your cup of tea. This is not a film like Aliens or Barbie, with so many different well-made elements that just about anyone will enjoy the experience. Divinity is (metaphorically, not literally) a Masters of the Universe (1987), Tokyo Gore Police, or Revenge of the Ninja (1983). If it's not exactly on your wavelength, your experience (like mine) will probably be similar to seeing a Facebook ad for a supposed medical device that clearly has off-label purposes you're not interested in. You might (like me) appreciate that it was made with love and has a good cast (Scott Bakula in particular), but you will probably be bemused by the experience as a whole.

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Divinity" is a story about two mysterious brothers, who abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery. Director Eddie Alcazar clearly takes influence on films like Lynch and strange art-house science fiction stories and with this being his first feature-length film, there are some great aspects to it.

There are some weird stuff happening. The black and white colors, sound designs, and visuals are very interesting and great. The performances from the cast is interesting as the performances feel kind of weird or dull but I think it was intentional for the setting. It has a surprising cast and for the whole cast, they do a pretty good job on playing their strange roles. I don't mind strange films like these as they are one of the types of genre of filmmaking that I enjoy seeing.

The main narrative is a bit strange and while it's very ambitious, the ambitious tone and presentation takes away from some of the writing elements as the writing elements at points felt underdeveloped or unfocused of what the intentions of the film wants to be. Some of the dialogue moments were pretty rough. The third act does start to feel a bit too silly at times which takes away some of the tension.

Overall, it's definitely ambitious and a very strange type of film to watch. It's no where near one of my favorites on weird art-house films but there are some cool ideas that felt original.

Rating: B-

Divinity is a very stylized, black and white sci-fi/horror adjacent/thriller. Destined to be divisive, but very much worth checking out if the trailer peaked your interest.

The film is very strange but I was never lost. There is a clear and defined plot that isn't convoluted. The acting is rough around the edges, the dialogue is not polished, but in many ways this contributes to the style of the film.

That's not to say this movie is "so bad it's good." The style will not work for everyone though. The one thing that is inarguable is the movie's ability to stay cemented in your brain. This is a movie that I don't believe will leave your mind so quick like a big budget Hollywood film.

Is this movie empty, vapid and all style over substance? Is it a deep and meaningful reflection about what humans value? For me, somewhere in between but nonetheless a very entertaining film.

Divinity will definitely find its audience but it still isn't the next Blade Runner. Check it out.

Fantastic visuals, numbing story to the brain. While I do appreciate the straightforward allegories that were apparent, it seemed like this movie was relying on the visuals to save it. The story is super simple with overarching metaphors involved, yet, it seemed like certain scenes were missing it. The pacing was super off, but the visuals almost make up for it. Every shot looks like a charcoal pencil drawing that just adds to the nature of the film. Great concepts, yet not expansive to the point where I feel the lore could be elaborated on. I recommend solely for the visuals and set design, yet it's not much of a pleasing story.