marcofranchino

After being attacked, a young and extremely reserved man (Eisenberg) enlists at a local dojo, led by a mysterious and manipulative sensei (an amazing Alessandro Nivola).

The movie offers another excellent performance from Jesse Eisenberg. This is definitely his character's journey. This is a dark and sinister route that offers many moments of levity, kind of surreal of points but definitely enjoyable and intriguing, exploring concepts like what is to be a man, a human being and what is power and control over other people.

Highly recommended!

A mind-bending story following Greg whose life seems going to pieces after a recent divorce, longing a perfect life he can see in his daydreams. He meets the mysterious Isabel and follows her down the rabbit's hole, trying to understand what is real and what is a dream.

This movie definitely benefits from multiple viewings. If you hated it the first time, don't bother. But if you are at least intrigued the first time around, give it another chance. It took me three viewings to grasp all the pieces of this puzzle. It is uneven and unclear at points but there is definitely a meaning that can be grasped and enjoyed. This movie is not perfect by any means and it may result obscure and obstic to a vast portion of the public but it is at the same time intriguing and interesting, and unfolding its methafors is definetely rewarding.

A young couple looking for the perfect home finds themselves trapped in a suburb full of identical homes. When the two try to leave the labyrinth-like area, each road mysteriously brings them back to their starting point in a sort of infinite spatial loop.

The movie is carried by the excellent performance of leading actors Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg. Albeit interesting on paper, the story and intrigue work more as metaphor of suburban life than an sci-fi/horror/mystery story and probably would have worked better as a short more than a full length picture (e.g. A Black Mirror episode). Ultimately the enjoyment is toned down by a not entirely satisfying (and rather predictable) ending (if you'll guess you'll probably catch it).