This starts off with a confident blend of stylization and atmosphere, and I found myself highly impressed by its opening 30 minutes. The Weeknd was convincing despite the criticisms I’ve read about his acting, but it’s Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan who do the heavy lifting. Unfortunately, once events lead towards darker, disturbing thematic territory, the film fails to find focus and meanders needlessly. It’s still very ambitious, and exhibits an effective understanding of musical accompaniment in film. If it had just spent a little more time developing its storyline, it really could’ve been something more memorable overall.
