Review of They Live (1988) by Ahmedaiman9999 — 25 Oct 2018

From his movies I've watched so far, I can say that Carpenter's movies share a cool style of direction, cool ideas, and cool characters. But They Live has something more.... a cool way of unraveling and unfolding the plot!

Carpenter here unfurls his movie's story as if he says to his audience: "I don't care whether you're enjoying the movie or not. You came here for the movie's bizarre and outlandish concept, and here it is!".

Not too much dialogue; the thing that may make the viewer feel a bit bored, especially before the action rises. But so what as long as this brilliantly reflects the movie's themes of working-class subjection and media control!

A very slow way of resolving the conflict of the plot; the thing that may infuriate the viewer, and make him worried lest the denouement would be so rushed. But so what as long as the results, as the movie proceeds and the end result, are more than fulfilling and rewarding!

In all honesty, Carpenter went a bit too far to say the least. As the transitions between an act to another are quite abrupt and scrappy that can make you feel as if something is missing; something that is necessary to make you more convinced. The transition between the first and the second act can redeemed; because there is an information that is represented later at the second act in a most subtle way. But this is not the case about the transition between the second and the third act. As there are some things that should have been quite difficult to work out, but they ended up being solved pretty quick by some coincidences and plot holes. Let alone the major plot hole concerns the whole story that you may realize at the end, if not while watching the movie.

It goes without saying that in They Live, Carpenter offers a timeless biting and daring political satire neatly encapsulated in a loony thought-provoking sci-fi flick while maintaining, at its core, its B-movie quality the genius director famous for.