Review of Thoroughbreds (2018) by John M — 16 Mar 2018

Two girls can accomplish a lot when they put their minds to it. So Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Amanda (Olivia Cooke) are friends from school, but they have grown apart throughout the years. Amanda has become more withdrawn, and Lily now has a stepfather with a mean streak.

Together, they devise a plot to remove him from the equation. You should probably have the appropriate expectation going into this. If you watch the crazy trailer with bombastic music, you may think that this is going to be like the insipid Spring Breakers or The Bling Ring.

Thoroughbreds is most definitely not that, and it was made for the audience out there that can stomach a dark drama and can appreciate a wicked sense of humor. There are a few supporting roles in this, but the reason why Thoroughbreds works is the dynamic between these girls.

These are two extremes of the personality spectrum, as one is unable to feel emotions and the other is essentially the opposite. A lot of this film is just them conversing with one another, and it ends up being very engaging because they really wouldn't be friends under any under circumstance other than the situation that they are in.

It is like a perfect storm of an ominous drama: these girls really aren't in the right frame of mind because of their surroundings, they each encourage the other's impulses, and they are fast turning into bonafide sociopaths.

It should come as no surprise that this escalates with the quickness. Also in the mix is the late Anton Yelchin as a junkie with aspirations. It's not a big part, but he does leave an impression in one of his final acting roles.

It is always nice when the last movie that people remember you for isn't a turkey. Another element which makes Thoroughbreds succeed in spades is just how well made it is. The cinematography is all executed quite well, and there are a lot of shots that do have a lot of thought and care put behind them.

Also, the score to this is incredible. It's mostly minimalist, but with foreboding instruments that play consistently and unpredictably, it does help to keep you on edge from start to finish. I only checked the clock as this was reaching its very final scene, and I was very surprised to see that 90 minutes were already up.

This is a sordid little story that I enthusiastically recommend.