I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore.

According to Slipknot, people = s**t, and that's the conclusion despondant nursing assistant Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) arrives at after witnessing those around her acting like assholes on a daily basis. When her home is burgled, and the police prove less than helpful, Ruth decides enough is enough, and, with help from her neighbour Tony (Elijah Wood), tries to track down those responsible to let them know just how despicable they are.

A smart black comedy featuring standout performances from Lynskey and Wood, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is the directorial debut of actor Macon Blair, which makes the movie an all the more impressive achievement. Blair handles the action like a seasoned pro, leading his likeable protagonists into unpredictable situations that go from bad to worse, culminating in a brilliantly orchestrated orgy of violence. What starts out as a quirky drama winds up in seriously dark territory that is scarily brutal, absurdly amusing and hugely entertaining.

Highly recommended. 8/10.

Macon Blair's feature film debut is a wicked blend of violence & hilarity that balances the elements of crime & comedy with flair, offers an interesting insight into the norms of lower-class American society, and is wonderfully uplifted by quirky inputs from its cast to succeed as an indie that's as amusing as it is rueful.

I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore tells the story of a lonely woman who's sick of people being indecent all around her and is pushed to the limit when her home gets robbed. Enlisting the help of a neighbour, the two decide to go after the ones who burglarized her house but soon find themselves out of their depths.

Written & directed by Macon Blair in what's his directional debut, the film exhibits a shade or two of Jeremy Saulnier's thrillers when it comes to depicting violence but most of it is pierced by well- dosed humour that serves as a counterpoint. The plot takes a while to get going but once it gains the momentum, it is expertly maintained till the end.

Featuring an idiosyncratic list of characters whose arcs are embedded with serviceable depths, the first act attempts to establish our protagonist's lonely state & morals before bringing more people into the play. Melanie Lynskey plays her leading part brilliantly and supporting her throughout is Elijah Wood who delivers a downright hilarious performance as her neighbour.

On an overall scale, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a confidently crafted beginning of Macon Blair's directional career and is a morality play that's quite timely but there was still room for improvement, for few segments are drawn out, narrative flow is inconsistent at times, and it settles for a safe conclusion. Nevertheless, for a debut feature, it is as good a start as any. Worth a shot.

There's definitely something to be said about a film that seems to be as demented and as outrageous as this one. I say that as a very high compliment. The passion driving the filmmakers is clearly visible on screen and there is a lot to be said about a film that you watch that doesn't let you have any idea of where it will go. The two leads are also very strong, especially Melanie Lynskey who has proved herself to be more than capable of leading roles time and time again. She deserves more attention in general. I do think the film suffers from mixing genres a little too much and a little too often, sometimes to the point that I was not sure how to take certain scenes and what their intention was. Still, a very interesting and entertaining film and one that will hopefully gain a large audience.

Started a bit slow, and it seemed like it was trying too hard with the so-called cringe humor. I still enjoyed the photography, editing and music even though I wasn't impressed with the plot. Then things changed dramatically for the better. One thing I noticed towards the ending was the similarities with "The Shining" (1980) both in set and music. Might have been wishful thinking but my I'm pretty sure there's a bit of a reference there.

Fantastic acting, I didn't realise the main character was played by the "Heavenly Creatures" (1994) actress. Never really seen her "black, beautiful little eyes" since then, but her average mid-thirties woman looks were very refreshing for a leading character in a motion picture. Elijah Wood always delivers of course, he was hilarious as a very specific loser type.

Overall a very, very good dark comedy with existential overtones, nice plot turns and a great atmosphere. Loved it.

With a simple but solid story line, interesting characters , good dialogue and good acting, we have a very decent movie here. The plot is woven so as to move at a healthy pace and this further helps the movie.

In one sense it can be called a back to basics to thriller-drama with the necessary ingredients. And that is why, perhaps, it is quite unconventional for this day and age.

The entire cast acts well. The movie is not pretentious , which is such a huge relief. There are elements of some dark humour, that sit well.

There is violence in the movie, and you may refer to the Parents Guide section of this site for more details.

On the whole it is pretty good . Unexpectedly so.