Marmalade

It was definitely refreshing and amazing to have watched this sort of a movie nowadays when we get scarcity of thrilling and unexpected comedies. The plot was outstanding because it was flexible open to interpretation and easy to manipulate like what the director and writer just did. The protagonist's performance was so smart and clever die to his ability to portray such complex character that initially seemed innocent and unsuspecting to someone more sinister and clever. The scenes were also intelligently edited because there were no plotholes and the twist was satisfying in the end. The whole anagram thing was a bit corny though.

This is the kind of movie that relies heavily on the story and its twists. Unfortunately, the story, while shiny on the outside, falls apart upon the slightest inspection. It is not original, and it is not nearly as clever as it thinks it is.

When the movie has such gaping plot holes, and requires such enormous suspension of disbelief, then it needs to be extremely fun in order to make up for it. But this movie is not fun. The pacing is uneven, sometimes it drags slower that the terrible southern drawl of the main character, and other times it tries to rush too many things into a few minutes. Despite being billed as a comedy too, all you get form it are just a few chuckles.

The acting is perhaps the best part of it, but that goes only for some of the supporting characters. Camila Morrone was excellent and Aldis Hodge did a solid job, although his acting is uneven - some moments he is excellent, some moments downright bad. Unfortunately, Joe Keery wasn't good, although his character was supposed to carry the movie. In keeping with the aforementioned lack of originality, two characters from two famous movies immediately jump out as the inspiration (to put it politely) for the main character, but the actors in those movies are light years ahead of Keery (I won't go into any details in order to avoid spoilers).

Overall not a terrible movie, but not a good one.

This has to be the most unique movie I've seen in awhile. At first it seems like you know what you're getting into, but there are plot twists my family and I didn't see coming at all. Not to mention the cast really put their whole careers into this movie, in my opinion. There are also little easter eggs through out the entire movie that hint towards certain things at the end, which makes me excited to rewatch it and see what I missed and what makes more sense after knowing how it ends. I truly hope this movie and its cast / crew get at least a few awards for this. I've never written a review on here before but this movie warrants one.

Despite clearly having a low budget, this movie made up for it with great actors, snappy writing and breathtaking twists. I have given the movie higher marks purely because the tools that they were provided to create this movie, lowly as they were, were used with such precise artistry, that a 10/10 score is more than well deserved. All three leads are fantastic actors, it's well paced, and most of all, it feels like an indie movie born from a sordid affair between Tarantino and the Coens, and this is the highest praise a movie like this could expect.

I cannot express how much I enjoyed every well-used second of this movie, this will be in the rotation of movies to watch when I want to spend roughly an hour and a half just... Enjoying cinema.

If the movie seems familiar at first glance, the effect is intentional. Fledgling director Keir O'Donnell sets out to catch the audience by surprise, and succeeds more often than he fails. Just when you think the story is going somewhere, it zigs when it should zag. The result is actual honest-to-God entertainment, something most movies today seem to have overlooked. Camila Morrone is a find, rocking her role like a deranged Claire Danes, and the camera loves her. The audience will too. Hodge is one of those rare actors who literally cannot give a bad performance, and he holds up his end of the "deal," even with limited screen time. Recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))