I'm not a huge fan of the slow burn. No, I don't need explosions, but if a film gets any slower than 'Ex Machina' I feel as if we're stretching a short film into a feature. This film is slow, very slow, just when we think we're getting somewhere the lead "doesn't remember" or "doesn't know why..." and after two steps forward, we take a step back. However, this isn't a bad film. The reveal at the end is worth the wait and will leave you saying (in a good way) "What the hell no!".
The lead is the lone survivor of her family's massacre. In order to protect her from what she knows, her brain gives her amnesia. She's somewhat trapped in a childlike state, which if you look at her that way she's less annoying. I can't say the same for her daughter, who was incredibly annoying with no redeeming quality. The husband's also a bit of a dud and very unsupportive as his wife tries to sort out some pretty tragic stuff in her mis-firing brain.
Her mind plays tricks on her. She sees things that aren't there and has an imaginary psychologist in the image of her dead father. Her dead sister also shows up. There's the weak "we can't let you leave" statement given by the dead sister, which is misleading. The living daughter also sees the dead sister for no other reason than, it's spooky, I guess. There are quite a few vague things that might leave you feeling like "come on already explain this crap, movie."
I don't understand all these reviewers with 'unanswered questions' who 'never figure out what's going on'. The movie does a great job explaining itself, and it's really quite simple.
It's the kind of movie to throw on while your knitting, clipping coupons... or scrapbooking or doing something else to fill in the huge gaps when nothing really is going on.
