GamerTab
That was an excellent one.
MusicChat
It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.
WillSushyMedia
This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.
Bessie Smyth
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
rdoetjes
I'm very partial to French cinema. The French have this gift of taking the mundane and making it a cinematic masterpiece. This unfortunately not so much. The locations, the set design and cinematography are superb. It's very stylized looking and the look is what sets the undertone of a very disturbing place which otherwise would be the ideal vacation place.But the plot is thin and that's not bad thing in many cases but after 80 minutes your wondering: what did I just see?! Yes it looked stunning the acting is solid but what did I see?! Boys that were forcefully used as incubators but why? So they can create an island with only female occupants? I am trying to seek a deeper meaning and all I can get to is survival and maternal instinct.It's subtext is probably far more sophisticated but I simply lack the intellect to find it. Or it's simpy Lovecraftian in the way that it's purposefully left open for you to make your own narrative. It's a stunning watch for sure but you will feel puzzled at the end.
Bjorn Diamant Hav
review contains spoilers. but trust me, if you're a decent human being you're gonna want to read it anyway. because once you do, i doubt you'll want to watch the film unless you're into openly PERVERTED, disgusting content involving children.Um.... This is literally a movie about women sexual abusing little children by making them , through human experimentation, carry babies? Why the f**k is this acceptable? Or given good ratings? The boys also witness an orgy between the adult women. I mean, think of it in reverse, if this was a film about adult men were subject little girls to scientific experiments, forcing the little girls to carry and have babies, and letting little girls watch a public male orgy. There would be a public outrage over this. It's not Artistic or Intriguing or Mysterious. It's literally a movie about the sexual abuse of little boys. f**k this movie.
jessicafischerqueen
If you like HP Lovecraft, THX 1138, or David Lynch movies you may well enjoy this one too. The plot seems a bit too far out, and there appear to be so many plot holes that the establishing sequences may prove frustrating. It's worth waiting though- contrary to several of the reviews on this IMDb page, there is actually a plot resolution that helps explain what you just watched. I don't think it's any more abstruse than the ending of THX 1138. The best news is the staggeringly beautiful cinematography, locations, set design, and makeup. These combine perfectly to help create a disturbing psychosphere that somehow manages to be both stark and voluptuous at the same time. Despite the deeply oppressive Lovecraftian atmosphere throughout, the film climaxes with great spiritual beauty- and sadness.
David Ferguson
Greetings again from the darkness. If your preference in movies leans towards atmospheric and creepy, rather than on intricate story lines and sub-plots, this latest from writer/director Lucile Hadzihalilovic is likely to scratch your cinematic itch. We never really know what's going on or where the story is headed, or even if there is a story
but we are entranced nonetheless.Nicolas (Max Brebant) is an observant and curious 10 year old who lives in an isolated Oceanside community (probably an island) populated only by women and young boys. While most of the boys spend their days doing typical boy things, Nicolas whiles away the hours drawing in his sketch book. His most recent sketch is of the horrific sight he witnessed during a leisurely swim
a dead body with a red starfish nibbling away. The use of the color red plays a recurring role throughout, but as to its meaning, I haven't a clue.What follows are some bizarre medical procedures and beachside rituals that leave us grimacing and confused. The purpose of these actions is related to reproduction, and the medical experiments on the boys will certainly cause some uneasiness in the audience. Julie-Marie Permentier plays Nicolas' "mother" – in quotes due to the uncertainty around the conception process, and Roxane Duran plays Stella, the nurse who takes a liking to Nicolas and his drawings.Billed as a horror film and thriller, my best description is some type of blending of The Island of Dr Moreau, The Stepford Wives and Upstream Color. Ms. Hadzihalilovic is the partner and frequent collaborator of offbeat indie director Gaspar Noe, and the influence is clear. This is a strange and enigmatic film that is exquisitely filmed (cinematographer: Manu Dacosse) and offers very little dialogue to accompany its quiet creepiness. The key seems to be not spending any time trying to figure out what it's all about. Whether you find it hypnotic or senseless is a personal decision.