Il mulino

Happy Huluween, Streamers! Yes, Hulu is back with their Horror/Halloween section of movies for the Halloween Season. One of their offerings piqued my interest based on the main actor and the simple concept, The Mill. This streaming movie features a businessman (Lil Rel Howery) who mysteriously wakes up in an open-air prison cell with only a primitive grinding mill. He's forced to work until he can find a way back before the birth of his first child. Covid type movie hijinks ensue.

As you can tell, this movie really is quite singular and feels like a classic Covid era movie. All we have is Lil Rel and some voice work to get us through about an hour and forty minutes. I like Rel but this isn't really his acting range. Don't get me wrong he does a good job, and the movie really wouldn't have been anything without him. He knows how to act panicked but sometimes it just comes off as whiny! Anyway, the idea is original and semi-frightening. Remind me not to sign any disclosures without reading them again. But really there's not much to the movie other than Rel and they still make us watch for an hour and 40 minutes! I mean have a build-up but come on already.

Simply put, this movie while imaginative lacks imagination. The Mill is literally, and metaphorically, pushed along by the charisma of Lil Rel Howery. That's not enough to make this a movie you have to run to see. Grab a handful of popcorn and check out The Mill to support our guy when you have a chance.

Super suspenseful and VERY much like a Black Mirror episode, just movie length!! Really wild ride indeed!!

The premise is wildly unique and there is no way you see the ending coming...

I truly think that if you go into fairly with no forced expectations, you will really enjoy this!!

I had NO clue what I was in for and I knew nothing about the movie before watching it... and I recommend you do the same!

It definitely has moments that are scary, ONLY because they are teetering on the edge of realistic and possible!

Rel did a great job with the character and it honestly keeps you guessing until the VERY end!

Give it a go!

While things like this has been done before where people have been kept in captivity and see how they behave basically how they break down but this was a one man show, 99% of the time one man show. And I felt multitude of things most important of which is GRATITUDE. Through out histories many many people had this worst, I am thankful I am allowed to use my agency. I felt trapped before and i could relate to the pain of Joe. We think just working hard will make things better but we forget we need to change the system too. I learned I will need to choose my environment too where I reside. It might be very disappointing movie because of ending but I think the point was never the ending , the point was the grinding.

A wildly misguided and not at all subtle critique of capitalism, or "the grind" (like a mill. See not very subtle). Is anyone really stupid enough to believe this showing is even remotely related to actual capitalism? A trillion-dollar company, calling literal slaves their "employees", can do anything they want because the employee "didn't read the fine print" when signing their introduction paperwork. This director is one of those people who think modern day employees are slaves because they have to work for money instead of being handed everything for free. That even though the employees willing volunteered to work for the company and can leave at any time, the company is evil for making the person work. These kind people think of themselves as actual slaves, like the man in this movie, and there's nothing they can do to escape. That companies who make their employees work are literal slave masters forcing people to work so they aren't killed. Nevermind how incredibly obvious the metaphor, it's also just extremely inaccurate. However, I gave it 2 stars instead of just 1 because there is something to said about quotas and how there are definitely companies that do not reward employees that work hard and therefore give no incentive to continue working hard. That is a legitimate critique. Also, the ending was absolutely terrible. All that aside, Lil Rey cannot carry a movie by himself. He is comedic relief and that is where he shines. Also, what business manager working for a trillion-dollar company wears Nikes with their suit? I'm just not impressed at all.

This thriller seems to plod along without super strong thrills, but its goal is to make the audience think, which I felt it accomplished. Heavy on symbolism and strong performances helped me enjoy this maybe a bit more than some of the other reviewers, I don't know and I don't want to presume. Lil Rel, whom I had only seen previously in Get Out, sheds the comic relief role of that film for a nuanced lead in this one and is effective as he carries the movie visually with most interactions with other characters being strictly vocal. I would recommend it for those who prefer atmospheric movies, and those who prefer action should probably steer clear.