Sean D
pretty decent thriller. the initial attack in it is pretty disturbing and upsetting. but i thought it dealt with the aftermath of two trauma victims really well, which made you really care for them.
personally i liked the end to
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
07/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
To call Straightheads a masterpiece would be equivalent to praising a drug addict for their habits. Just as compulsive substance abuse should not be encouraged, this film as a whole should act as an example to future film makers about the dangers of inconsistent writing, poor character development, and, most importantly, shock value.
The film centers on the spontaneous and toxic relationship between Alice Comfort, a business woman played by Gillian Anderson, and Adam, a self-employed security technician played by Danny Dyer. The two start off having a typical sort of client/worker relationship as Adam installs security cameras in Comfort's flat, but quickly and unexpectedly, the two become romantically involved when she invites him to attend her boss's house warming party. Coming home that night, Adam is attacked by three men on the side of the road and Comfort is brutally raped. A month later, Comfort drives through the countryside to the house of her late father, which she has now inherited. While there, she encounters a man named Heffer whom she recognizes as her rapist. Now having a name and location on the man, he calls on Adam to help her get revenge on the men who attacked them.
As a concept, the film seems fine, promising complex story lines, angst, and a bold look at human behavior and reasoning. However, upon watching, the film is underwhelming and the characters lack complexity. Not much is known about Comfort, but as she is viciously assaulted onscreen, it's hard not to look at her with pity and compassion. Her reasons for seeking revenge are established and therefore, her brief bursts of rage and violent tendencies can be rationalized. Adam's reasons for revenge seem misplaced as he was beaten, but recovered rather well with only a scar. However, his reasoning requires deeper analysis than Comfort's. He must live with a scar on his face, reminding him of a day that could have been his last, and he is burdened by fear as a result. He is also, of course, encouraged by Comfort to seek revenge, which contradicts his initial conscience reasoning. But, in the end, he ends up reacting even more violently than Comfort as he maims Heffer and kills two other men. But the question still remains: Why is Adam so angry when he has seemed to fare far better than Comfort? The answer is simple. The answer is Alice Comfort. Adam wants revenge for what happened to him, but he also wants revenge for Comfort. However, it is so hard to make this connection because of their relationship. The most confusing element of the film is the impetuous dalliance of Adam and Comfort. I thought it impossible to find an actor or actress who had virtually no onscreen chemistry with Gillian Anderson. However, this film proved my theory to be wrong. The spark between the two is not lacking, but missing entirely. The attraction seems to have no basis except for perhaps the excitement of a one-night stand, but it becomes more than a one-night stand. They remain together after the attack, but why? We can only assume it was for the comfort or the understanding and that they fell in love or connected with each other during the month after the attack. If this is true, then the events of that month are essential to the characters' development, but we never get to see it. It has taken a deep and thorough examination of this film simply to realize that they may possibly love each other. There is no sign that Adam loves Comfort except for the fact that he is so enraged at their attackers. They kiss, they hug, but more often than not, Adam pulls away and ignores her. Is this because of the impotence he experiences after the attack? Is it because he doesn't truly care for her and is simply in need of companionship? We don't know. The answer is never truly revealed. We are left to assume that they love each other, which is ridiculous. Movies should not explain every single detail of the plot. This would be boring and tedious. Letting the audience assume things allows them to ask questions, but having to assume such an essential part of the plot is too much to ask for from an audience. We cannot assume that the characters have developed without having any evidence and then be expected to understand when the characters do something seemingly out of character. It is insulting as an audience member to be treated in such a way. It's insulting to my intelligence and my opinion and it is infuriating. The characters are not developed, their relationship is not developed, and this adds confusion to the entire plot of the film.
This film was not compelling. In fact, it was surprisingly dull, seeming incomplete. The word "rushed" continually comes to mind. The editing is choppy and some scenes are completely unnecessary, lasting only seconds and establishing nothing. The music is pitiful, reaching crescendo during a time when nothing suspenseful is happening and quickly dropping off into complete silence. The writing is absolutely dreadful. It ranges from ridiculous, forced-for-the-trailer moments to explanations of things that have been perfectly explained with visuals to explicit language simply for the sake of explicit language. The only truly memorable moments come from the two shockingly brutal acts of violence near the beginning and end of the film, both of which are aided by phenomenal performances from Anderson, who holds the entire film on her shoulders. However, even she cannot hold the film on her own and subsequently, the violence she receives, and eventually inflicts, cannot be seen as psychologically terrifying, but as random. The film is quite uneventful apart from those two scenes and those two scenes alone cannot carry the weight of the boring filler in between. There is something awfully wrong with a film if the only two interesting scenes are brutal rape scenes. No logical person will sit through a scene of such violence followed by an hour of dull dialogue if the end result is just another equally violent scene. Shock value does not make a movie. A film isn't "thrilling" just because something unexpected and gratuitous happens. This film doesn't say anything new. It doesn't say anything at all. What is the moral? Revenge isn't always satisfying? That is a lesson taught to small children every day, not a "shocking" and "new" concept for a film. This film tries so hard to be ground breaking and inspired, but fails embarrassingly. The concept of the film is amazing and has significant potential, but the execution failed on almost all levels. Had the writing, direction, sound mixing, and acting all been as attention grabbing as the violent assaults, the film would have been phenomenal. It's sad to see such a great concept wasted the way that it has been. Surely with more time and dedication used in production, the film could have been great, but now, the opportunity is gone and we are left with Straightheads: an arrogant and stupid film.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Good movie if you can get your brain past the violence. Gillian Anderson is a wonderful actress and was perfect for the role.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Closer to a cure for insomnia.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/03/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Closure is a Movie about revenge following a brutal attack and rape of it's main characters Alice and Adam. The attack occurs very early in the movie after the couple's car breaks down in the woods and they are brutally attacked by a group of hunters. The rest of the film consists of a dark tailspin of depression and revenge.
What the movie lacks is a protagonist or someone to care about, and in the end it doesn't show what the title of the movie suggests it will which is closure. The characters are just as messed up at the end as they are anywhere else in the film. It isn't an action and adventure movie or a horror movie, it is a movie that spends a lot of time on character development without managing to actually develop any characters. The movie is mechanical and plodding and fails to produce any empathy for anyone or any real understanding of what motivates the characters or draws them together. Gillian Anderson plays the role predictably but even she fails to develop any character in her character beyond the convoluted plot line. The remaining actors fail to bring any personality or spark to what is a ultimately a plodding and dull film.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Solid British thriller, the cast does very well. Tense and very quickly paced, short and to the point. Well made with an interesting plot.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/30/23
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