Hold the Dark
0/4
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, James Badge Dale, Alexander Skarsgaard, Riley Keough
Not Rated (Probable R for Strong Brutal Violence, Language, Some Sexuality and Nudity, and Brief Drug Content)
I hated this movie. I hated every single stupid, pretentious, nonsensical line and plot development. I hated the unpleasant violence, the incoherent plot and everything else about this piece of shit that dares to call itself a movie. This is a disgusting and reprehensible piece of filth, all the more so because it apparently has aspirations of being something more profound when in reality its just an ego trip for director Jeremy Sauliner. One that makes Seth Rogen's movies look restrained.
In a small Alaskan town, three children have gone missing. Presumably they have been taken by wolves. Medora Sloane (Keough), whose son Bailey (Beckam Crawford), is one of the missing children, writes to famed wolf hunter Russell Core (Wright) for help. When he gets there, he realizes that things are more complicated than they seem.
I won't go into any more detail so if you do see this movie you can be offended for yourself. And believe me, you will be. There is constant violence and murder, which gets progressively more sadistic as the film goes on. I have nothing against violence in movies, even when its cruel and vicious. But it has to be justified by a strong story or character development where such unpleasantness is necessary for the film to work. That's not the case here. The story makes no sense and Sauliner seems to change his mind about the plot's direction and the characters' motives on a whim. Preferably if it leads to more brutality.
The film's most notorious scene (or it would be if anyone actually watched it) is a police standoff where many people are brutally gunned down. It's meant to be disturbing and tough to watch, which is fine. After all, wasn't the Omaha Beach scene in "Saving Private Ryan" universally hailed for its realism? But that scene was well-made and it had something to say about war. Here, this massacre is not only ineptly handled, it is without apparent purpose. It's too grim for any sort of adrenaline and too pointless for any kind of point to be made. It's just senseless, wanton death.
Sauliner can't decide what it he wants his film to be. Is it a mystery? A police procedural set in Alaskan culture? If so, then why does the villain (the main one anyway) wear a mask and act like Jason Voorhees? And why are there so many questions unanswered? Like, the villain's motives, for example. Leaving that out in a mystery is a pretty big oversight, especially since the entire movie has been leading up to the big reveal. Imagine what "Seven" would be like if David Fincher has lopped off everything after John Doe's first big scene. That's what this movie does. Instead, it wraps up a subplot that no one will remember. Or care about.
The actors are not well-served by this movie. Particularly because of the endless vapid dialogue they have been given and how terribly they've been directed. Yes, this is one of those movies: where the characters talk and talk and say things that sound deep and profound but are really just verbal diarrhea. And yes, they mumble everything and there is a big dramatic pause between every line.
The four leads are far too good for this material. Jeffrey Wright decides that the best course of action is to sleepwalk through it. James Badge Dale gives it his all, but not even he can save such a poorly written role. Alexander Skarsgaard has no problem looking creepy, but his career is in free fall after the end of "True Blood." Since he chooses to appear in movies like this and "War on Everyone," it's no surprise to me why he's not on the A-list. The dude needs to either read scripts or fire his agent. Perhaps both. And Riley Keough just whispers her lines and acts weird.
"Hold the Dark," which is as nonsensical a title as the movie's plot, is a vile and corrupt piece of crap that left me feeling nothing but anger and disgust. There is nothing here that is of any value and your life will be all the better if you avoid this movie like the wicked black mark on film history that it is.
Starring: Jeffrey Wright, James Badge Dale, Alexander Skarsgaard, Riley Keough
Not Rated (Probable R for Strong Brutal Violence, Language, Some Sexuality and Nudity, and Brief Drug Content)
I hated this movie. I hated every single stupid, pretentious, nonsensical line and plot development. I hated the unpleasant violence, the incoherent plot and everything else about this piece of shit that dares to call itself a movie. This is a disgusting and reprehensible piece of filth, all the more so because it apparently has aspirations of being something more profound when in reality its just an ego trip for director Jeremy Sauliner. One that makes Seth Rogen's movies look restrained.
In a small Alaskan town, three children have gone missing. Presumably they have been taken by wolves. Medora Sloane (Keough), whose son Bailey (Beckam Crawford), is one of the missing children, writes to famed wolf hunter Russell Core (Wright) for help. When he gets there, he realizes that things are more complicated than they seem.
I won't go into any more detail so if you do see this movie you can be offended for yourself. And believe me, you will be. There is constant violence and murder, which gets progressively more sadistic as the film goes on. I have nothing against violence in movies, even when its cruel and vicious. But it has to be justified by a strong story or character development where such unpleasantness is necessary for the film to work. That's not the case here. The story makes no sense and Sauliner seems to change his mind about the plot's direction and the characters' motives on a whim. Preferably if it leads to more brutality.
The film's most notorious scene (or it would be if anyone actually watched it) is a police standoff where many people are brutally gunned down. It's meant to be disturbing and tough to watch, which is fine. After all, wasn't the Omaha Beach scene in "Saving Private Ryan" universally hailed for its realism? But that scene was well-made and it had something to say about war. Here, this massacre is not only ineptly handled, it is without apparent purpose. It's too grim for any sort of adrenaline and too pointless for any kind of point to be made. It's just senseless, wanton death.
Sauliner can't decide what it he wants his film to be. Is it a mystery? A police procedural set in Alaskan culture? If so, then why does the villain (the main one anyway) wear a mask and act like Jason Voorhees? And why are there so many questions unanswered? Like, the villain's motives, for example. Leaving that out in a mystery is a pretty big oversight, especially since the entire movie has been leading up to the big reveal. Imagine what "Seven" would be like if David Fincher has lopped off everything after John Doe's first big scene. That's what this movie does. Instead, it wraps up a subplot that no one will remember. Or care about.
The actors are not well-served by this movie. Particularly because of the endless vapid dialogue they have been given and how terribly they've been directed. Yes, this is one of those movies: where the characters talk and talk and say things that sound deep and profound but are really just verbal diarrhea. And yes, they mumble everything and there is a big dramatic pause between every line.
The four leads are far too good for this material. Jeffrey Wright decides that the best course of action is to sleepwalk through it. James Badge Dale gives it his all, but not even he can save such a poorly written role. Alexander Skarsgaard has no problem looking creepy, but his career is in free fall after the end of "True Blood." Since he chooses to appear in movies like this and "War on Everyone," it's no surprise to me why he's not on the A-list. The dude needs to either read scripts or fire his agent. Perhaps both. And Riley Keough just whispers her lines and acts weird.
"Hold the Dark," which is as nonsensical a title as the movie's plot, is a vile and corrupt piece of crap that left me feeling nothing but anger and disgust. There is nothing here that is of any value and your life will be all the better if you avoid this movie like the wicked black mark on film history that it is.
your reviews are worthless
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