Magpie

Not everything (technically) adds up in this taut 90-minute infidelity thriller, but I'm really liking the dramatic roles that Daisy Ridley has been taking up recently. This is written by her spouse Tom Bateman, and plays out much like any married-relationship-turned-bitter thriller even though its setup looks fairly unique. But I have questions (burning ones, in fact). Asking them would resort to giving away spoilers, so I'll refrain. Sam Yates gives it the neo-noir treatment, simultaneously taking advantage of Ridley's strong points.

The final twist looks satisfying on paper (and momentarily on screen too), though the feasibility of it is somewhat questionable. The male lead also comes across as a permanently rude and uncaring "human", let alone a partner or a parent. Since the film wants to get to the point quickly, there's a definite lack of texture to everyone except for Ridley's character-the actor once again aces her role. Nonetheless, Magpie is one of those films that offers instant gratification, even if you may forget it soonafter.

The first half of the film is more of a character study, about a profoundly unhappy and lonely housewife, Anette, who soon finds out her husband, Ben, may be having an affair with a famous actress, Alicia. The second half of the film is more of a thriller where we see the tempo begin to pick up and the wheels begin turning in Anette's head.

The film is a true slow burn: at first chilly and frigid, then warm and bubbling, then explosive in its final act. It's gripping, engrossing, and tense throughout. It's anchored by a fantastic performance by Daisy Ridley. She's a true revelation. Her quiet moments of festering anger are wrenching. There's a symbolic scene where we see her crack a mirror after pushing into it for a few moments that symbolizes their shattering marriage. Shazad Latif is also good here.

The film does have some mediocre aspects. The trailer is quite misleading. It can drag and get a tad tedious at times. The ending may be cathartic and rewarding for some viewers, while mediocre for other viewers. Hiba Ahmed as Matilda, the daughter, is just okay, though child performances in film are often not very good. She felt more like a prop than a character. And Matilda Lutz, while really beautiful and charming and convincing as a movie star in the context of the film, was just alright. Perhaps it's because Lutz is Italian that many of her lines sounded odd or stilted.

If you like thrillers with strong acting, especially ones involving female rage, eroticism, and infidelity, this will be up your alley.

Rating: 7.6 Overall, a pretty good psychological thriller that is laid out well and shows the impact jealousy has on family dynamics/relationships, all lead by a good performance from Daisy Ridley and a well-executed climax.

Pretty Good Direction (The direction on a macroscale is good as he does a good job in laying out the conflict and planting the horror/thriller roots throughout the movie; the direction on a microscale is pretty good to good as the interpersonal scenes are where you really see the family dynamic and the relationships between the characters; the storytelling is good as you're really interested in what will happen next as they slowly unravel the conflict; the tension is built well as it keeps the audience engaged (especially towards the climax)), Pretty Good Acting (Good from Daisy Ridley (Really shows a full range of emotions and a lot of charisma in the lead role), Pretty Good from Shazad Latif (Plays well off of Ridley, but is a little too overt as the villain (still pretty good though)), Decent from Matilda Lutz (Shows some separation from the main two but holds her own enough), Decent to Pretty Good from the rest of the cast (everyone plays their role well, but it's really about the main three characters)), Pretty Good to Good Story (The concept is pretty interesting as it ties horror concepts around family dynamics and relationships; the plot structure is laid out well; the flow between sequences is good; the character writing is pretty good as you really get a sense of who Daisy Ridley's character is, but the rest are a bit overt), Pretty Good Screenplay (The dialogue is pretty good (some amateur lines); the symbolism is decently prevalent as the movie is centered around the family dynamic while also tackling mental illness; the foreshadowing is very good as it's a key element in telling the story), Pretty Good Score (Helped with establishing the tone), Pretty Good Cinematography (A lot of well-executed shots to create tension and build the seclusion of the world (especially when dealing with reflection)), Decent Editing, Pretty Good Sound (Helped with establishing tension), , Pacing is good as the movie felt like the right pace, Climax is well executed as they display what they were trying to build for the entire movie, Tone is very similar to other psychological thrillers, Saw the World Premiere at SXSW.

This movie was okay, but definitely not Daisy's best. The film follows Annette, a woman who appears to be suffering from postpartum depression. When her daughter gets a role in a movie, Annette is left home with the baby while her husband Ben takes her to the set. On set, Ben meets Alice, a famous actor, and quickly finds himself falling for her, only for Annette's mental health to continue to spiral.

Overall, it was an entertaining enough movie. The script definitely needed a little more work. None of the characters are particularly likable. However, Annette does get some sympathy points for her husband wanting to cheat on her because she is sad. Daisy does an excellent job of being the unhinged, crazy, suspicious wife. I think they could have explored her character a bit more. It's also like they couldn't decide if they wanted Annette to be the villain or not. The ending was also pretty predictable. However, they did a couple of things to throw the viewer off, making some plot holes when you stop to think about it. If I had to summarize it, it feels like something is missing somewhere. If you're looking for Daisy Ridley movies, I'd recommend Young Woman and the Sea or The Marsh King's Daughter first. However, if you've seen those, this wasn't bad; it just felt incomplete.

Living in a sumptuous modern country house, successful but blocked Anglo-Pakistani author Ben is stuck in a dour marriage to Annette. This state of affairs is telegraphed from the outset, with much of the marital discontent Ben's own fault. Annette is suppressing anger over his condescending attitude and lack of support after she gave up her career to raise their two children, while Ben is clearly bored by his unhappy spouse. Their eldest child is 6YO Mathilda, who has been cast in a film as the daughter of its principal character. As Ben escorts Matilda to the set each day, he becomes attracted to lead actress Alicia, and Annette soon becomes suspicious.

Deeper discord becomes apparent as jealousy grows, leaving one wondering why the couple doesn't just call time on their dismal union. Meanwhile the narrative settles into a creative rut with all three main characters depicted as deceitful, manipulative and fairly unlikable. The story trots along an unexceptional path until it arrives at the surprise twist and melodramatic climax which is obligatory for this movie genre. The project may well be commercially successful, but thirty seconds of reflection after the end titles will have many shaking their heads at the plot's implausibility and the characters' shallowness. The acting is decent, but the screenplay's deficiencies leave one yearning for the richness of a classic like 'Body Heat' which enabled Kathleen Turner to transform deceit and manipulation into an art form.