Oh boy... This movie is the very definition of a train wreck. Starts just like another day down the line, ends in an ugly and utterly incomprehensible catastrophe.
For the 1st act, the movie was awesome. The world building is so good that at some point I almost questioned myself if the "Night Owls" show was based on anything real (not in a generic way, but some specific show that actually existed IRL). David Dastmalchian gives us an amolst palpable Jack, the show's host, despite the cliché tropes you might expect from a Mr. Good Guy who becomes involved with media and its cruelty ("Its all about the sponsors, the audience ratings, the show MUST go on").
The second act ramps up the speed and acceleration curve in a very good pace. The interview with Mr. Wriggles is AWESOME. All kudos to Ingrid Torelli (Lilly), who delivers a very good performance. The weirdness, the hatred embedded in the tone and gaze, the irony that only those in full control of the situation can appreciate. Her acting is GOOD from the moment she sets foot on the stage, but VERY underrated by the directors / script writers (who, if you didn't notice, are the same guys). And the transition to the third act is where this movie runs through a wall, smashes its face to it and still continues, top speed until it completely derails in a fraction of a second (minor spoilers ahead).
Third act is completely over the top. From the moment the ghost hand comes in over Jack's shoulder all the way until the end, everything is way too much. Lilly suddenly becomes an almighty entity, throwing lightnings through her hands, twisting necks from afar, levitating people to the air, melting people to the ground... That is NOT "the Devil", that is Palpatine, for Reagan's sake... And Jack's conclusion arc... URGH bad. Dastmalchian continues to deliver his best with what he has at hands, but the script just ruined everything. I give one extra point to the direction and their decision to turn this complete mess into something that resembles analog horror, but I take it back because they didn't want to let you know they were taking any sort of influence from YT channels. The result is, again, a mess, you can't understand what the heck you are watching (is this being broadcast? just in Jacks head? WTF is going on?). The movie ends in the best WYSIWYG way: "What You See Is What You Get". Deal with it.
Overall, if you have nothing better to do, dive in. Its well acted and well directed, and overall very well produced, despite the script's mess. If you are looking for something a little more exhilarating, maybe a rerun of The Exorcist would be a better choice...
Review by ttofanoBlockedParent2024-04-27T19:36:54Z
Oh boy... This movie is the very definition of a train wreck. Starts just like another day down the line, ends in an ugly and utterly incomprehensible catastrophe.
For the 1st act, the movie was awesome. The world building is so good that at some point I almost questioned myself if the "Night Owls" show was based on anything real (not in a generic way, but some specific show that actually existed IRL). David Dastmalchian gives us an amolst palpable Jack, the show's host, despite the cliché tropes you might expect from a Mr. Good Guy who becomes involved with media and its cruelty ("Its all about the sponsors, the audience ratings, the show MUST go on").
The second act ramps up the speed and acceleration curve in a very good pace. The interview with Mr. Wriggles is AWESOME. All kudos to Ingrid Torelli (Lilly), who delivers a very good performance. The weirdness, the hatred embedded in the tone and gaze, the irony that only those in full control of the situation can appreciate. Her acting is GOOD from the moment she sets foot on the stage, but VERY underrated by the directors / script writers (who, if you didn't notice, are the same guys). And the transition to the third act is where this movie runs through a wall, smashes its face to it and still continues, top speed until it completely derails in a fraction of a second (minor spoilers ahead).
Third act is completely over the top. From the moment the ghost hand comes in over Jack's shoulder all the way until the end, everything is way too much. Lilly suddenly becomes an almighty entity, throwing lightnings through her hands, twisting necks from afar, levitating people to the air, melting people to the ground... That is NOT "the Devil", that is Palpatine, for Reagan's sake... And Jack's conclusion arc... URGH bad. Dastmalchian continues to deliver his best with what he has at hands, but the script just ruined everything. I give one extra point to the direction and their decision to turn this complete mess into something that resembles analog horror, but I take it back because they didn't want to let you know they were taking any sort of influence from YT channels. The result is, again, a mess, you can't understand what the heck you are watching (is this being broadcast? just in Jacks head? WTF is going on?). The movie ends in the best WYSIWYG way: "What You See Is What You Get". Deal with it.
Overall, if you have nothing better to do, dive in. Its well acted and well directed, and overall very well produced, despite the script's mess. If you are looking for something a little more exhilarating, maybe a rerun of The Exorcist would be a better choice...