Michael's Movie Grade: B+
An excellent thriller.
This movie has a delightful premise. A woman who runs a skin care business feels threatened when a new skin care business moves next door to her. When it seems like someone is trying to sabotage her entire life (just her line of skin products is going to hit the shelves for the first time), she suspects that her new neighbor is behind this. What starts as some lewd emails, after her account was hacked turns much darker and more violent as the film goes on.
This movie does exactly what a suspense film should do. It kept me glued to the screen from start to finish. Part of the reason for this is that story is constantly growing darker. The buildup is fantastic and the fact that the stakes are constantly being raised keeps the story from ever becoming boring. The climax is very exciting and takes on a wonderful neo-noir feel. What also makes this film work so well is how real the main character feels. She has her likable qualities, and she is a character, we often find ourselves rooting for. Yet at the same time, she has a very dark side. This dichotomy to her makes her much more fascinating to us. Elizbeth Banks' performance here is fantastic, and she captures all the complexities of the character perfectly. This movie is also full of twists and turns, many of which are extremely clever. This is also a very visually handsome movie, that is always delightful to look at. This visual handsomeness also perfectly gives this film an atmosphere that fits the story to a tee. It expresses perfectly the picture of the beauty world that this film shows. This is that the world of beauty is on the outside extremely attractive, yet beneath the surface it is dark and unforgiving. That this theme is perfectly conveyed visually gives this whole movie a delightfully cinematic experience.
This movie does have its flaws though. For instance, one of the biggest twists is way too easy to see coming. Also there are quite a few supporting characters that aren't as fleshed out as they should be.
For anyone who loves a good suspense movie, this is a pure delight.
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