The Blazing World

Badly acted, awkward, obnoxious, terrible CGI, rips off Paths Labyrinth but gets nowhere close to it. Some stuff is great like the lighting on the scenes and some of the shots look really great, however its not worth watching because of this. I would say it was a great idea bad execution but i cant even say that if Young just rips off Guillermo del Toro.

THE BLAZING WORLD is the journey of one woman to reclaim her past and face her devastating depression from a childhood trauma, all presented as a dark fairy tale. Think Nicolas Winding Refn directing a script from David Lynch inspired by Lewis Carroll. First time filmmaker Carlson Young uses dazzling, darkly neon, and twisted visuals to tell this story, and her striking vision puts her great talent on full display. Dermot Mulroney impresses and Udo Kier is damn creepy. Crushing and gorgeous to watch with an utterly haunting score, the film is a mesmerizing, emotional experience you won't soon forget. Bravo Carlson Young!

Amazon Prime graces me with the screening of many a turd of horror movies so let's see how this one is.

Oh wow what a nice house. Starts off with twins. Oh no not a cut finger, didn't see that coming. Oh no stupid twin drowns in pool! Smart twin sees......beckoning portal guy! Okay then skip ahead...about 6 to 8 years, smart twin is in college.

Daddy is a drunk and apparently dad abuses mommy. Girl returns home from school to visit because parents are selling their house. Girl goes and parties with friends and then they have a tarot card reading. And then what happens???? Hmmm.

Then really what happens next is not a lot. Really disappointing plot and dialogue and not much to either. 3/10.

The Blazing World is a very ambitious film based on a very old, ambitious piece of literature. It's not quite sci-fi. It's not quite supernatural. It's not quite dreamlike. It somehow fits in between all of these. And that part servrs the film well. It's deeply uncomfortable and atmospheric. You can see the influences of other works on this film. It really seems like 70s horror.

What doesn't work about the film is it's slow and meanders a bit much. Not everything works. Some creepy stuff comes off silly. And without a sense of the rules of this universe, it can make the stakes in some scenes feel nebulous. The acting is also mostly good but sometimes it's a bit hit and miss.

Overall, I liked it but it's kind of a movie you have to to into it knowing it's a flawed experience. Don't expect perfection. Just expect something strange, atmospheric, with some really great moments that sometimes falls short. I'll take failed ambition over just another cookie cutter movie.

SUNDANCE 2021 REVIEW -

Holy cow, this film was phenomenal. Caught it during the virtual Sundance screening and I am still in awe. This film was so wild and imaginative. It borders on horror and fantasy but brings the two together beautifully.

Carlson Young is already an amazing actor (and this film just proves that ten fold) but to see her directing skills? I cannot get enough. The way she has the audience view this film deserves a whole essay on its own.

I have many more thoughts but gotta rush to make the next screening.

Absolutely loved this film to pieces and it's symbology. I'm so excited to see who picks this one up because it deserves to be seen by a broader audience!