The Mosley Review: Nope
Very few storytellers have the option or ability to delve into different genres while keeping one foot planted in the first genre they started in and still make it intriguing to watch. This storyteller has done that and in my opinion, his films have finally led to this and it didn't disappoint. The amount of social commentary about the film industry, animal cruelty and profiting off of childhood trauma is ever present in the film. What I really enjoyed is that this wasn't a horror film like the past films. This was a sci-fi western that was more in line with a thriller. Now I did find that the most interesting parts of the film were when you're dealing with the main antagonist and I loved that details about it were slowly revealed. There were some truly great creepy moments, but one in particular made me lean back in my seat. The problem I had with the film as a whole is that there is a lack of the subtlety the director is known for. Even though it was a take on a real life tragedy, there's a plotline that I felt wasn't really necessary in the long run.
Daniel Kaluuya leads the film as the stoic horse wrangler OJ Haywood. He was great as you'd expect, but at times it was a little tough to understand him as he would mumble a few times in his monotone voice. Keke Palmer was fantastic and the energy of the film as OJ's sister Emerald. The moment she slides into frame, she steals the scenery and acts as the perfect counter balance to OJ. Daniel and Keke have the best chemistry in the film and I truly believed they were siblings in the way they would bounce off each other. Steven Yeun was excellent as the neighboring "Jupiter's Claim" amusement park owner Ricky "Jupe" Park. He was charismatic, fun and there is a deeper story for his character that illustrates one of the central themes of the film. It was good, but was better told than shown. Brandon Perea was awesome as the Fry's Electronics employee Angel Torres. He was hilarious, and perfectly eccentric as things started happening. Michael Wincott was great and cantankerous as a famous cinematographer, Antlers Holst. I liked that even though we don't spend that much time with him, we understood his mission in life.
The score by Michael Abels was eerie, fun and I loved the infusion of classic western sounds toward the last half of the film. The main problem I had with the film is that there is a plotline that has to do with Hollywood exploitation of animals that was good and violent, but felt like it was blocking the momentum of the film. It plays into the overall plot for a certain character, but in the end it felt included for more shock value than story progression. Visually the alien ship was stunning and very reminiscent of classic 70's B movies with a fun twist. In the end, I thought the film was good, but not as great as it could've been. It was just a middle of the road sci-fi thriller that has plenty of creepy visuals and a fun finale. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
