Final Girl : La Dernière Proie

24 March 2016. It wasn't Abigail Breslin's fault I assume, but the script just didn't allow her to really shine in this movie. Her martial arts, well her kick-boxing skills or taking apart and putting together a weapon just weren't on par for as long as she trained for example as La Femme Nikita (1990), Elektra (2005), Hannah (2011) Daisy and Violet (2011), or Miss Meadows (2014). There was too much light in the darkened forest which was too unrealistic. As for the hallucination horror scenes, they weren't on par with such classics as The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Cell (2000), Silent Hill (2006), Black Death (2010). As a thriller, the movie did have a consistently and understandable plot, with some wry humor, and decent acting, and an atmosphere in this nevertheless predicable movie. But it could have been better.

... with the best setup.

Lets review.

A B-movie is at its essence where the producer (usually also the director and the writer) raises just enough money for the camera and the editing studio, period. Everything after that is barter or begging. Which is why the Bs usually feature a small cast and a limited choice of shooting locales. Like for an example, a diner and a forest.

A "setup" is the dramatic device that sets the tone for the rest of the film and prepares the audience.

This little gem as an "overlong setup" as Wes Bentley and Abagail Breslin spend a lot of time, just the two of them, training, as if this were some sort of MMA epic. Which of course it is not.

The setup runs over 20 minutes and -- who knew? -- it works a treat. Breslin is Jim dandy for the role but Bentley oddly enough gives the performance of his life. His crazy eyes and strange demeanour have never been uses so effectively in his entire career.

It is the brilliance of the overlong setup that carries the viewer into the second Act and the finale.

The highest compliment I can pay this film is this -- if they do a sequel, I will stand in line to see it.

And if Hollywood stole the idea and did a remake -- I would see that too.

This is actually a good movie to watch when your just alone and want to see something by yourself............................................. I see a lot of reviews on this movie talking bad about it .. Some say it ruined a date or wasn't entertaining, that makes me believe those comments come from people who always expect a movie to have nudes and sexy scenes to help them get laid or from kids who just like cool Michael Bay explosions.............................................. This is a slow paced movie and its just what it was intended to be, like for example "sin city" in movies like that you cant expect total realism, there's some art in it. its not great but not bad too...... the end.

Final Girl is basically putting the Hit-Girl trope to the slasher genre, which can be a pretty cool concept. The film's style is some sort of a fancy old-school mystery film, highlighting shadows and silhouettes through creaking walls, cafeterias and streets. Visually appealing stuff, rather enjoyed for being effectively overly campy for its low budget. But the story itself is just downright silly and even worse, meaningless. The movie sets up a little girl training to beat up dangerous men, but it instead lead us to a number of strange events, which results to such polarizing schlock.

Even for its shoddiness, the weird style could still be admired for being way too campy. The story centers on a secret organization that hires vigilantes, and everything else about them is a huge mystery. We only see two characters in their dark shadowy headquarters; it's either for the sake of being extremely minimal, or just really underdeveloped. But the important thing is, they're hiring a young girl to fight off their targets. In spite of training and even raising her in this cold- blooded environment, the main character, Veronica, still doesn't seem like she's as strong or as unfeeling as she is supposed to be. It makes everyone wonder what exactly did she train throughout her childhood. She's not given much of an arc either. The film just presumes that she is not competent enough at some points. It can be a useful good to bring some suspense, but instead, she is given an incredible dose of deus ex machina in this "daring mission" that would easily take down her targets.

While it makes the whole mission a lot weirder, all we see is just some amateurish looking acid trip that is supposed to represent their fear, but looks more totally random than disturbing. The fighting is hidden behind the vague shadows and the on screen blood is very reserved. All the slasher/gory fun is replaced with artsy pretentiousness. And for some reason, that can also be one of the benefits of the film. In a typical mindset, the experience may just be some terribly shot mindless violence on screen. Not saying that this approach is anything fresh or superior at all, it's just pretty rare that it manages to do something a little different. It brings some tongue-in-cheek characters, blanketing their shadows into some exteriors with lighting fetishes (the headlights of the gang's car is super strong enough to shine the entire forest). The movie brings some flavor, but it didn't gloss over enough about the fact how pointless this story all was. The acting is fine, they're basically as campy as the cinematography.

Final Girl is a cool looking film with a pretty ridiculous story that lacks severe subtext. The movie may have painted a lot of interesting shadows through its darkness which makes it effectively campy as hell, add some symmetry that somewhat turn buildings into dollhouses, make headlights spotlighting every hallucination, and characters chew the scenery because it's more intimidating that way, but then it's all just pretty images. It all lacks grotesque and gore, or even more important: meaning. While it's reasonably to get fascinated by a typical B-movie's decision have such obsession with silhouettes and lights, the story just doesn't make any sense in the end.

The final girl. All can be sum up to that title. And I find it remarkable. For a movie to be summarized in a three word sentence. If you've seen the trailer, and know the title, then it is all of it. You haven't really miss much. And so without further ado, I dub thee, this movie a wasted bit on the net. You can continue to read and give chance to justify my case. Some might have been impressed by the trailer, for I am one of them, the music and the cut of scene to scene surely seems impressive. The chase and the fight screens shown on the trailer was quite misleading to the quality of the movie, but I'm sure of my judgement in this.

20 seconds walking, 3 minutes talking of small talking, and a variety of pauses, and breathing. It was dragging, in a non exciting sort of way. Taking time for the predictable, the girl and killers in a chase. There was really no weaving, no curving, just straight to the end. Predictable.

The girl I believe is an orphan. Taken and trained for a purpose of defeating the evil. Then after an hour and fourteen minutes, wow. I thought I could get more about the story but there really is nothing else. I can't tell the ending of this movie but I have a feeling 99.99% population can already guess what it would be.

Maybe I can add a bit of the story... Nope. Can't find it if it isn't really there.

During the races to the death, the hiding from killers, the soundtrack, I'll admit, is good. Boom, Baam. Sure, the music is good, but really, if the scenes does not complement the music, then I'm afraid, even Mozart or Beethoven can't help this movie be better.

There were stylish though. In tuxedos and dresses no matter where they go. I mean all of them. All. Unrealistically everyone. Well, not the background people for it would be a fantasy of some kind but just those involved in the story. I had the impression they were dressed from some prom but after nights, nope, not at at all. The scenery and background was dull but kind of beautiful. Certainly, it would be so if the shots were great mountain and forest, and lake scenery.

I was bored. No surprise there. It would be a sin to tell you otherwise. Some may find this movie enjoyable? Though I doubt many would. The actors and actresses do have some name to show for.