The preposterous worst of people and actions emerge and threatens to undercut the message movie ambition of Ari Aster and his quality compilation of intermingled buzz points, especially when a lengthy coda of weary comeuppance tries to hammer them home one last time. You may, like the surviving characters, be left asking how did we get here and is it all worth it.
Read MoreThe most crucial dramatic trait for films about exploration is a drawing a strong reaction to the unknown from the audience. Whether it’s a historical story or a fantastical one of fiction, the film has to evoke awe, be that stirring swells of inspiration or jarring feelings of danger. It has to move you, not bore you. If a film can’t achieve that quickened pulse or heavy heart, it’s little better than a travelogue on cable television or a curriculum video they show soon-to-be-bored high school students in Social Studies class.
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