Scrawl

This film is a well-intentioned horror movie that suffers from the budget not matching the ambition.

I am a big fan of Daisy Ridley, so like many, I wanted to see this. She does NOT disappoint in this movie. It's interesting seeing her playing a cold and merciless personification of evil, although it takes a good 30 of the 80 minutes before she appears.

I watched it out of curiosity, and I was satisfied mostly with what I was looking for-a good performance by Daisy Ridley playing an evil character. Maybe a second watch might be better, but there's so much choppy incoherence in this story.

At 1 hour and 19 minutes, it doesn't ask for much of your time.

There were some really good ideas here, but some of it seems to really get lost in the choppy editing and non-linear storytelling. If perhaps a more experienced crew behind the camera could've gotten involved, it would've saved this some narrative problems it really suffers from. Maybe this would've been better as a very memorable 45-minute episode of Twilight Zone or Black Mirror.

Did the actors do well? Absolutely! Casting was done quite well for this movie.

Can I recommend this? I'm split. If you're a horror fan and/or a Daisy Ridley fan, check it out. There's DEFINITELY something here for you. I'm glad I watched it!

If you're neither, then there's not much here to grab you and keep you invested.

The story is a very complex mashup of supernatural adventurism, contemporary horror, and modern folktale. Keep the official synopsis handy for reference because the complexity is elusive on screen. For most of the first half it is hard to decipher what the film is about, too many cut-aways and overlapping plot points really muddy things.

There is some bare bones of creativity and intrigue in Hearns concept. Outcast kids trying to find their place in a social clique, a supernatural book that can bring imagination to life and a coming-of-age battle against evil. All things done to death, but "Scrawl" mashes these tropes in a truly millennial fashion. A troubled kid obsessed with comics unwittingly unleashes evil in his community.

Beyond that very basic understanding of the plot, not much is comprehensive with this film. The structure is broken and jumbled. There is no real cohesion to the story arc. And things happen in a slow, aimless pace that is slightly boring. There are plenty of moments with decent horror and blood splatter. Unfortunately it happens with the same non-existent affection as the bland dialog and snarkiness. Check the movie out if you want to see how Ridley got her start in a bad-and soon to be cult-student film.

Scrawl is an incoherent mess. If I hadn't read the plot synopsis before I watched it I would've had no clue what was going on. The storytelling and editing choices made here are bizarre and completely ruin the admittedly interesting premise.

Most people, no doubt, will seek this movie out because it is Daisy Ridley's first feature film (filmed before Star Wars: The Force Awakens). I'll give this movie one thing: Daisy's performance here, at its best, is pretty darn good. Sure, she is given some garbage dialogue at times, but she makes the best of the material and shows some nice range. Though she is the biggest one on the poster, her role in the movie is limited.

I know this is an indie film, and I certainly did not expect big-budget stuff. However, good editing and story structure can be done on any film with any budget. Talent is something different than scope or budget. Shots are cut between with hardly a care, there are random and incoherent montages, bizarre dialogue, you name it. It was honestly a chore to watch this; Scrawl represents the worst of independent film.

Skip this one. Do not waste your time and money.

Let's be honest, Daisy Ridley is the only reason anyone is going to watch this film. And outside of her performance, this film is a straight-up mess. Don't get me wrong, the premises is interesting enough, although it is similar to Death Note. However, the film's excision is a confusing mess that makes the plot hard to follow. Also, outside of Daisy, the acting is terrible. Watching her in this movie is like watching LeBron James play basketball with a bunch of high school students. She is clearly out of her league, and there is no wonder why she was the only one from this film to get famous. What makes this worse is the fact that Daisy doesn't get as much screen time as the other actors. You think the writers would have tweaked their script when they saw she was the most talented actor in the film. I understand this was an Indie movie, but lots of indie movies are able to create a coherent plot with decent acting. My advice is if you liked Daisy in Star Wars, then give this one a watch just for her. If not, then skip it.

Script is ok, visual is ok. i just watch it for daisy ridley tbh