Have you ever watched a movie and been like ''what the fuck did I just watch?''. Well this movie gives you the granddad of those feelings.
So, the basics of it is that this guy is divorced, so to find a new woman he goes to this hotel where you can find your next perfect match…. And if you don’t one you get turned into an Animal. Yeah, I know it’s absurd but listen. It’s a great look at how absurd courting can be and the twists and turns are numerous. Collin Farrell gives a good enough performance, but the plot carries the movie more than the actual acting.
Spoilers ahead now…. If you planning to watch it... STOP
What makes this movie so fucked up is the interactions between the people. They seem like they are all not capable of human interaction. The society they live in has made them so scared of being alone that they've lost the ability to genuinely converse. Every interaction seemed forced.
The hotel itself is the craziest part. From them saying you must not masturbate and them grinding on you until you get a boner is absurd (edging at its best). But once you leave the hotel it is as bad. The “loners" rules are ridiculous and their punishment worse. You'd think them being free from societies rule would allow them to live better, but it seems like it makes them worse. It is so ingrained in them to live a certain way that they can't not.
The movie is a great look at loneliness. Each person in the movie is lonely in my eyes. Society has made them so uncomfortable in being alone that they fear that more than making genuine connections with other people. No one gets to know one another. They look for one similarity between them and think they are perfect for each other. Even the 2 main characters find out they are both short sighted and get together. When they lose that and the girl loses her eyesight, they lose the spark in the relationship. Which leads the main character to try and blind himself so they can be together again.
The movie is perfect in my eyes. It doesn't have any exposition into what’s happening in their Society (cough cough the purge) we get thrown in the deep end and the story explains everything. The main character is not shown as perfect and his flaws are shown early with him acting heartless to court the violent woman. The humor is not in your face but its subtle and its more situational than in your face.
It’s a great look into why being comfortable in your own skin is very important. You don’t always have to be with someone to be happy.
7.5/10