Monday, March 12, 2018

Thoroughbreds [2017]

MPAA (R)  CNS/USCCB ()  RogerEbert.com (3 1/2 Stars)  AVClub (A-)  Fr. Dennis (4 Stars)


IMDb listing
CNS/USCCB () review
Los Angeles Times (J. Chang) review
RogerEbert.com (C. Lemire) review
AVClub (A.A. Dowd) review

Thoroughbreds [2017] (written and directed by Cory Finley) is an extremely simple if also extremely deadpan / dark "comedy" about two super-rich teenage girls, Amanda and Lily (played superbly by Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy respectively), awash apparently in ritalin, from the "horse country" of upper suburban Connecticut (where even cross border Westchester County, NY appears to be considered for the non-super-rich hence unwashed/unfortunate masses) who ... come to plot the murder of one-of-the-two's creepy (if still chiseled) lawyer step-father named ... Mark (played by Paul Sparks).

To do so, they enlist a local same-age-as-they amiable loser named ... Tim (played in joyfully / "without a clue" fashion by Anton Yelchin, the poor actor, most famous for playing the amiable Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek films, himself, died tragically in a freak auto accident outside his Hollywood Hills home shortly after finishing shooting for this film).  Tim's the guy who they'd _never_ invite to their parties if not for him supplying them with their drugs.  If stupidly, then certainly sincerely Tim believed himself to be "an entrepreneur" and kept telling _everyone_ who'd listen (not many, as most would just roll their eyes and leave ... after buying their drugs ... from him...) that "in a few years," he'd be "sitting pretty," living just as they were ;-).  Yes, Lennie, everybody deserves to dream...

Well ... much happens, though ... not particularly quickly ;-) but then ... they're all on ritalin, right?, holding back filled-to-the-brim oceans of resentments.  SOOO, this can't possibly end well ... right ...?  And ...

It all makes one recall the great opening line to Tolstoy's Anna Karenina: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way" ;-)

An awesome if very, very dark film ;-)


<< NOTE - Do you like what you've been reading here?  If you do then consider giving a small donation to this Blog (sugg. $6 _non-recurring_) _every so often_ to continue/further its operation.  To donate just CLICK HERE.  Thank you! :-) >>

No comments:

Post a Comment