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Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke are the stars of a sleek and intense conspiracy thriller, based on Rumaan Alam’s popular 2020 novel. This film reflects a growing trend in the industry, with lengthy and sprawling movies that blur the line between traditional films and streaming TV shows. Another example of this trend is Amat Escalante’s Mexican thriller Lost in the Night, which, like a meandering story, leaves room for a potential second season. Even Ridley Scott’s epic Napoleon project for Apple TV has elements of both film and TV, with additional content intended for the smaller screen – although, to be fair, he does not leave things open-ended in his version.
Amanda and Clay, a well-to-do couple from Brooklyn, have two teenage children. Amanda is a jaded advertising executive and Clay is a relaxed college professor. On a whim, they decide to escape the city and stay in a luxurious Airbnb mansion for the weekend. However, their plans are disrupted by storms, phone and wifi issues, and a disturbing sight at the beach. That night, they are visited by two strangers – a sophisticated man and his daughter who attend college, played brilliantly by Mahershala Ali and Myha’la Herrold. The strangers have a convincing reason for wanting to enter Amanda and Clay’s home, but things quickly take a turn for the worse.
As the disaster intensifies, the background music of impending horror gradually increases in volume, never quite reaching a peak of fear or significance. A group of deer frequently gathers around the property, reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Birds, and then scatters. It is possible that someone has been residing in the shed. A woman screams in terror at Clay in Spanish on the road. Various unfortunate events are taking place and will continue to occur. Writer-director Sam Esmail often divides the dramatic focus between two or even three different crises within the group, which can be a bit counterproductive. And then…? The final moment elicits a bleak laugh, although we have been led towards it along a lengthy path.
Source: theguardian.com
