Notturno

I liked this one a lot more than I thought I was going to. I am a little surprised at the 5.7 rating as I am giving it a 7 no normally it's the other way around. Maybe people were expecting a little bit more classic horror, but I felt it had a very atmospheric, creepy vibe throughout that served up a solid, new age horror vibe.

I thought the story wasn't wildly original but just different enough to make it feel fresh. The pacing felt very good and kept me solidly engaged from start to finish. I wish there was a little bit more background as far as the supernatural aspect and where and how it manifested in the modern day.

The acting was hit or miss. The main blonde twin did an excellent job throughout. Her range of emotion was really quite good and she gave a solid performance. The other twin did a decent job and while her delivery often felt natural, many times it felt situationally "inappropriate". Some of the side characters were not all that great.

I really liked the score/sound design, the overall vibe of this production and I was quite pleased with the ending as well. It felt in-line with the story and not a cop out like so many are nowadays. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

I was really drawn in by this film . I felt the relationship between the sisters was authentic and relatable. Music is cut throat and requires so much sacrifice , I feel this showed that really well- while still allowing the characters to be teens .

I liked the feel , the aesthetic and the plot . Hard to tell if this is reality or all in the mind of the main character and you never really get a good answer .

This is not a life changing film, but it doesn't try to be something it isn't and it leaves you feeling sad and empty which is what they are going for .

This movie reminded me of Black Swan and Perfection, but was original enough to be entertaining. Without giving much away, I will say I would have appreciated a bit more explanation on the notebook or the origin of how it came to the first girl. I guess it leaves endless room and questions for sequels and prequels. There is definitely more there to be explained, and it was good enough that I would watch another one to find out more.

While watching 'Nocturne' it can be really hard not to notice the similarities between this and 'Black Swan'. It's slightly less sexual but the story follows a very similar pattern. To be fair there are far worse films to base yours off. It's just something I noticed. The opening scene of 'Nocturne' sets up some intrigue. It's not a scary or suspenseful scene, but it is strange and leaves you wanting to know why it happened. From there the film sets about telling its story, and does so in a surprisingly compelling way.

I'm not a big music fan (and certainly not classical music) but I didn't find that hindered my enjoyment of the film at all. If that's putting you off seeing the movie I would suggest not to worry about it. The film is a horror, but more in a bizarre way than a suspenseful or gory way. If horror isn't for you, I would say that isn't necessarily a deal-breaker on this one. I could imagine non-horror fans finding a way to enjoy this movie.

Sydney Sweeney was really good in the lead role here. She played a big part in making the film as watchable as it was. She's in every scene so it was very important she got her performance right. I liked 'Nocturne' without ever perhaps loving it. It's worth a look but don't set your expectations too high.

... but remember, music is a blood sport and Juliet shows us why with a powerfully crimson performance as a teenage girl determined to rise to the challenge. Twins sibling rivalry and a piano provides the foundation but the cornerstones are the pressures placed on adolescence, the price of admission to achieving aspirations, the penalties incurred due to high expectations and the effects on others that take place as a consequence. Imaginatively done, if not all that original, it is the composition created by Sydney Sweeney that deserves the credit and a well earned round of applause.