You Were Never Really Here Movie Review
You Were Never Really Here Movie Review
Lynne Ramsay, known for telling sombre stories on aftermath of a
troubled past without resorting to much dialogue, does it once again.
She straps you to the edge of your seat throughout the course of this
intense, spine-chilling thriller that is strangely reminiscent of John
Krasinski’s ‘A Quiet Place’.
Like Krasinski’s survival horror, Ramsay’s psychological mystery leaves
you transfixed by fear and suffocated. Both films exude this rare
ability of turning their viewers into the protagonists, thus making you
live the horror instead of merely watching it from a distance. You dread
to make a single noise, let alone breathe freely at the fear of being
the next casualty.
What makes this Cannes favourite vastly distinct is its ability to
showcase the protagonist’s contradicting emotional and moral arc. Joe is
brutally violent, makes living out of killing people but won’t trade
his conscience for anything. You feel for him and his scarred, abusive
childhood despite the barbaric ways he chooses to carry on. Atmospheric
and terrifying, you watch Joe’s every move like a hawk. There’s not a
single dull moment as Ramsay keeps building the tension throughout with
an odd mix of consistent eerie silence, throbbing sound effects and
disturbing flashbacks. You get lured into unravelling Joe’s traumatic
past by wanting to piece the puzzle together.
While the film is supremely engaging, it is Joaquin Phoenix, who
breathes life and intrigue into its cold existence. One of the greatest
actors of today, only a Phoenix can play both — a caring son who looks
after his old mother and a hired gun that nonchalantly beats people to
death with a hammer.
You Were Never Really Here is taut, gritty, weird and unsettling. It’s
not everyone’s cup of tea but if you fancy such psychological thrillers,
this one’s a must watch, especially for the raw brilliance of Joaquin
Phoenix.
Comments
Post a Comment