This movie stands in the intersection between mass appealing commercial filmmaking and a traditional art-house outing. Joaquin Phoenix plays yet another maladjusted introspective violent man that saves kidnapped children and teens.
It is full of beautifully photographed transition shots, so full that they become a significant chunk of the runtime. Yes, they're Rockwellian and pretty to look at, but is it cinema? They call attention to themselves and many are not very original, just what you would expect from the current state of digital correcting wizardry, in color grading and specific effect shots. I certainly enjoyed them, but their superficial beauty is not so different from a Marvel green screen tableau. When Laughton filmed a body in the water in "The Night of the Hunter", its haunted beauty had intent, meaning and looked like an impressive technical achievement. When Ramsay does the same it feels like she watched "Under the Skin" on repeat. To be fair, "Get Out" was released the same year and used the same idea. It is now a popular staple between independent filmmakers and suspect a technological reason is involved. This is modern art temporary exhibition material.
Many reviewers seem to remember only a specific part of this movie: action scenes are not followed but shown (or not) through CCTV shots. Some called it "an inaction film". Trite but quite fulfilling. After all, going to an art school exhibit is still an acceptable way of having fun.
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