The Paperboy

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William L Unusual pacing & tone, really just another Mconaughey-type Noir thriller that allows him to do what he does. He’s really not the main character, Zac Efron is, and Zach does a nice job using his attractive aesthetics & personality to bring his character to life. The real star is Nicole Kidman, in a role idt i have seen her in before. She is the straw that stirs the drink, and she excels. I have no idea why this is rated so low, other than that it is somewhat work to keep the characters & their relation to each other straight. This is not a sit and watch with no mental work on viewers behalf movie. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/17/25 Full Review Louis V This movie is about how trauma from a parent leads to danger seeking activity and I think it’s a masterpiece. A desire for rebirth is a big theme: the jellyfish scene is not supposed to be sexy, it’s a symbolic birth reflecting the younger brother’s desire for parenting and hatred of himself for not having it, which leads him to ignore how dangerous Charlotte is. Ward, who is so locked in his need to oppose his distant, ultra-conservative father that he unleashes the ultimate danger in Hillary, also has a failed rebirth. Naked and curled on the toilet, he attempts and fails to analyze why he’s driven to harm, which is shown by his eye injury and patch. Everything is deliberate - even trips to the swamp are timed with the brothers’ attempts to visit their own inner motivations, reflected by the nude, pregnant mother and gutted animals. Nicole Kidman is amazing as Charlotte Bless. I’d say this movie is an incredible example of ‘show don’t tell’ so you do have to put effort into analyzing it. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/10/25 Full Review Tyler G The Paperboy is a story I never expected to watch or go down, but I definitely paid attention the entire time. I don't know why it kept me so interested, but seeing McConaughey and Efron play these roles was very interesting. The film captures the racial tension and many of the political dispositions of the time well. The dynamic between Efron and their maid is heart warming at times, leaving plenty of room for character growth. I didn't know how to feel about this movie immediately but I did enjoy it a good bit. I don't know if I'd watch it again, but I was pleasantly surprised and shocked as it ended too. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/06/25 Full Review Jen J The acting was good, but the movie was trashy, shockingly violent, disturbing, and seedy. This was a mix between Cape Fear and Jerry Springer. Nicole Kidman was great, but she tends to take a lot of these really weird, abusive, sexually violent and disturbing roles, and it makes me wonder why. I always question when an actor takes the same types of roles over and over. Matthew McConaughey was Matthew, Zac Efron was Zac Efron. John Cusack was believably disgusting. Macy Gray was Macy Gray. This movie was horribly violent and dark. Not my cup of tea. But it was definitely attention-keeping. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/15/25 Full Review K L The acting is great, and the mix of the old 60’s-style filmmaking technique is a very nice touch and is expertly done. Interesting story and location - It’s one of those movies I rewatch every few years. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/08/25 Full Review John M Were this movie a body, it would have COPD. The scenes are claustrophobic; a yard is the size of a kiddie pool, an office the size of a desk, a bedroom the size of a bed, a bar the size of a dining room… When the hammer comes down – believe me it will – the anxiety of not being able to breathe becomes palpable. Even the dream sequences and the surreal “vivid thought projections?” are tightly bound – it feels like a knife fight in a phone booth. There are old lady characters in Fellini’s 8 ½ who seem to float onto the screen in such intimate detail you swear you can smell their perfume. In this case I can feel the bad vibrations in my bones – believe Kidman's Bless when she tells you vibrations can travel. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/10/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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