Review of Thoroughbreds (2018) by Ahmedaiman9999 — 13 Jun 2018

In his directorial debut, Cory Finley follows Martin McDonagh's distinctive combination of both violence and morality, and presenting them in a whimsical and cynical way. It's very clear that Finley is influenced by movies like The Shining, and that's not just in the visual way, like using bright colors, tracking shots,, etc, but also in terms of presenting the plot; the way Kubrick used in The Shining of showing and tell, yet never making every detail explained. And while here the risking of leaving some unanswered questions by no means reached the The Shining level, Cory Finley left a room for us to make some interpretations about some ambiguous minor details. The movie feels so flat and cold, and that really give kinda creepy atmosphere that is never avoid of irony and eccentricity. Also, this cold atmosphere matches the psychology of the movie's characters, specially Amanda (Olivia Cooke) who suffers a complete lack of emotion. That being said, this very atmosphere that was once supporting the movie, became very mannered and stilted after using it with and without reason. I think there was no need from sticking with this creepy tone after the main plot kicked off, and when the movie decided to delve into the character's minds. It seems to be a minor flaw, but it's effect during the viewing is very big. The movie's plot is genuine as well as the characters. Speaking of the characters, they are well-developed, and support the movie's message. Yes, this movie has a message! But the real surprise here is that the message about the friendship and empathy, and that they are instincts or gifts from god that seem to be faded from us, as humans beings.

The Movie also suffers from using unnecessary allegories, and its final act, which leads to the ending, isn't as satisfying nor riveting as the rest acts. In general, I think Thoroughbreds is a very unique take on this genre, and it proves that Cory Finley has a very promising career. I think he's gonna be one of the best horror/thriller filmmakers!

(7.