This movie gave me several new hellish nightmares in the best way possible.
It was the nightmare of learning about Travis a chimpanzee who appeared in several television shows and commercials, including spots for Coca Cola. and learning that on February 16, 2009, Travis attacked and mauled his owner's friend Charla Nash blinding her, severing several body parts, ripping off all of her fingers, lacerating her face, and ripping out her upper jaw before he was shot and killed by a responding police officer. The most horrifying part of the whole thing? When she was brought to the hospital she was still conscious. Thankfully she has no memory of the actual incident... But Jesus fucking Christ That was one of the most heavy things I've researched in a very long time.
It's the horror of seeing the internal organs of a UFO, and the dozens of people screaming in agony as it consumes them. It's the horror of a bad miracle which randomly sends a quarter into your father's skull, killing him in less than 24 hours.
This movie is one of the most intense films I have seen in a long time. Thank God we are blessed with the presence of Keke Palmer who's incredible talent keeps things from getting too dark, but this movie's darkness is above and beyond what I expected it to be.
It's packed full of several incredibly tense and powerful representations of trauma, the least of which involves taking the Charla Nash incident and making it 10 times darker. And packed along with that seriousness is a very THE DEAD DON'T DIE use of scenes that tie into the themes without really having any effect on the plot whatsoever. As a plot device all of the GORDY'S HOME scenes are totally unnecessary, but as far as establishing tone and exploring themes it's the skeleton for the whole thing.
It's a movie that delights in fucking with you. For a long time they seem to go back on 4th on whether they're even is an alien or not, and when we finally get an answer it's almost 40 minutes into the movie. On top of that there's the character of Angel who you immediately despise, and slowly becomes one of the best characters in the movie.
And Steven Yeun character In all of the trailers and posters? All of his contributions to the story happen off screen and all of his scenes are basically just flavored text.
Am I complaining when I bring a buddy of these points? Absolutely not.
I'm a big fan of the way this movie is structured and the joys it takes and leaving questions unanswered, but I can get why people wouldn't like this movie.
But personally, it's one of my favorite movies that's come out this year so far and I'm bummed I never got a chance to see it in theaters.
Next time Mr. Peele, next time...
10/10
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