chloehedrick

I have loved the lore of violent unicorns for awhile and was really excited when I saw a movie potentially utilizing this concept, and utilize they did. The comedy is decent, the violence actually more brutal than expected, and overall the pacing is done well. The characters aren't anything new, but then the movie doesn't try to be anything extraordinary. It tells you what it is from the get-go and sticks with it, and it's fun. I also loved the unicorn character design and hope this becomes a cult classic so they'll make t-shirts of it one day. So go, have a drink with some friends, and just have a good time for awhile.

I have often thought of this novel since consuming the audiobook in a couple days last year. I've recommended it to a lot of fellow horror readers, too. I personally feel that the film adaptation falls incredibly short of what it could have been. The novel is beautifully crafted with suspense and character development, whereas the movie offers 2D characters that are simply there just because. Their faces remain blank the majority of the movie and their line delivery is flat and almost always as if they're bored talking.

In true Shyamalan fashion, (yes, it's M. Night's daughter who directed it, but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree), the twist is a huge moment. While it does get revealed, it also changes a huge part of the original ending of the book, which makes the overall story even more of a 2D "horror twist." The book's ending gave me chills; the movie's ending gave me cliché horror.

I will say, I was eager to see who would play the character of Madeline, as she is such a force in the book as the most interesting character, as well as the one who has been trapped in the forest the longest, and Olwen Fouéré portrays her beautifully. The overall set design and atmosphere of the film is also done well, which helps but also makes the movie's poor script and characters feel all the more disappointing at times.

While I won't actively encourage not seeing this movie, I DO encourage you to check out the book, by A. M. Shine. I'm also happy that an author whose work I appreciate it getting the attention of Hollywood to have his work made into a different media form - let's hope if his other works become film or television adaptations, that they'll be given the adaptation they deserve.

Juliet set out to make a movie about how narcissistic abuse can slowly kill people from the inside via the metaphor of vampires. In the film she plays a detective trying to locate girls who have gone missing due to a powerful vampire named Darcel because she herself was barely able to escape him years prior. It's a bone-chilling film that packs a powerful, gut wrenching punch while providing survivors of narcissistic abuse a means of catharsis. Juliet has created a one-of-a-kind indie masterpiece that is due to become more popular via word-of-mouth the more that people watch it, and I myself am so excited for that day to come.