Honestly not sure what I was getting into starting this movie. Obviously I am one of the many that are drawn to this because of its stacked cast haha. This movie has a lot of ground to cover; not only is it based off of a book (which is already a challenge in general), it also spans the course of 20 years with like, six separate arcs. It's not surprising that some characters seem a bit shallow compared to others just because of the need to cram as much as possible into a two hour movie. While it's disappointing not being able to dive deep into these characters, the actors do a stellar job at giving us a glimpse. I think every casting choice was perfect, to be honest. Tom Holland leaves behind the dorky cuteness of Spider-Man to fully shine as a twisted protagonist caught in a pressuring, depressing environment. Robert Pattinson blew me away. What the HECK was that accent. I loved it. LMAO.

What really gets me with the film isn't just its overall depressing themes— it's how all those themes tie back to God and religion. Be warned this tackles tough stuff head on: extreme violence, murder, sexual assault/rape, animal abuse, & suicide are all in there. It's frustrating seeing all these characters justify their hypocritical actions with religious intent. It's depressing seeing the more good-hearted characters be gaslit with twisted religious reason. Please do not get me started on Pattinson's character arc, HA. What's worse is that all of these messages that are spread under the guise of the grace of God/God's will/what the Bible says, is that it's not really dramatized. This crap is coursing through Christianity to this day. I was constantly extremely uncomfortable throughout the movie. I started to go down a spiral of just wanting Tom Holland to kill everyone and get it over with, similar to the descent into madness you feel in the Joker as you either cheer Joaquin Phoenix on or wince as he laughs and cries. Either way, this film is definitely a think piece. Does it toe the line of just being trauma porn? Yeah. I think it depends on who you are as a person and how you view it as to whether or not it crosses that line. Catch your pastor preaching about this movie next week lol.

But uhh....BACK TO GENERAL STUFF. The score is absolutely phenomenal. I adored the music. The cinematography is subtle and gorgeous, and the set and costume design seamlessly build this small town world where everyone is related to everyone...ah, gotta love white people. While it is a slower film, I didn't find it to be boring. The suspense and tension built little by little serves for some great showdowns and climaxes between characters. It's a good watch for the cast and if you're into much darker pieces, but it's definitely not for everyone.