it took a long time before I was able to see this. I've heard good things. Most reviews have been very positive. Now that I've seen it, I'm a little mixed.
It's a clever movie. The direction is generally good, including some very cool shots. (There's an overhead shot of people ascending stairs that looks great.) Ti West plays a small part, which is great to see. It's very enjoyable to see a resourceful character in a horror movie.
What makes me a little more ambivalent about this one is the structuring. It's fairly straightforward until the midpoint, at which point there's a big reveal. Normally, a reveal this big is saved for the point at which we break into the third act - or it's a last minute reveal in the last 5 or 10 minutes. In either case, this development completely reshapes the audience expectation of the movie. Yes, the second half is much more enjoyable than the first. But the sense of disconnect makes it hard to feel like that development was earned.
There are a few references sprinkled throughout. There's a spot that is trying to channel The Shining. There's a music cue that weirdly tries to channel John Carpenter's scores. And even weirder, there was a homage to Rear Window. No idea why. I could also make an argument that there is a reference to Night of the Living Dead, but I can't quite stretch that far.
The action is shot well. I never felt annoyed by the direction. But I do have to say that two of the last deaths were a little too silly for me. One of them is a special one, which was intentionally wacky. The other one is just a knife in the head. I have some issues with knives being used for stabbing into the skull. While it's possible, it's just not that likely. In shows like Walking Dead, I usually give the benefit of the doubt, assuming that their skulls have rotted a bit.
I might return to this movie eventually. It might play better once I know what to expect of it.
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