The biggest issue this movie has is that it seems to be much more focused on pay off than it is set up. The inciting incident of the whole thing comes way too early before the characters and dynamics have time to be properly established. It also has a pretty bad habit of bringing up plot elements right before they come into play so it makes some of the twists and turns less impactful. At 94 minutes things do feel a bit too rushed through for it's own good but I always felt as though I was feeling what I was supposed to.
Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain are outstanding and make this thing almost constantly riveting to watch. It's also a great vehicle for tension and the filmmakers did such a good job at creating situations to get the most anxiety inducing results. It surprisingly manages to blends it's grief themes and thriller elements extremely well and even if some of the reveals feel as if they come in the wrong order nothing felt out of place or jarring.
Knowing this film is based on a novel does make me think there's a more sturdy execution of this story available but it's still not without impact. It's got 2 phenomenal performances at it's centre and when these character are sharing scenes is where this movie feels the most effecting. While it's definitely a flawed experience, it's something I can absolutely see myself recommending.
Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain are outstanding and make this thing almost constantly riveting to watch. It's also a great vehicle for tension and the filmmakers did such a good job at creating situations to get the most anxiety inducing results. It surprisingly manages to blends it's grief themes and thriller elements extremely well and even if some of the reveals feel as if they come in the wrong order nothing felt out of place or jarring.
Knowing this film is based on a novel does make me think there's a more sturdy execution of this story available but it's still not without impact. It's got 2 phenomenal performances at it's centre and when these character are sharing scenes is where this movie feels the most effecting. While it's definitely a flawed experience, it's something I can absolutely see myself recommending.