Spoiler warning in effect: this review does contain spoilers! Consider yourself warned.
If you're looking for a horror movie, THIS AIN'T IT.
I've never reviewed a movie before (not for lack of trying) but I just felt I had to review EAT (2014) for the simple fact that I was expecting a horror movie, from the synopsis and poster, and instead I got what should have been an incredible movie, turned into a dismally slow and disgustingly misogynistic one, with either over- or under-acted parts from all of the leads (except for Dr. Simon, who just seemed to be playing a forgettable mid-30s, could-have-been-anyone guy).
Don't get me wrong: the special effects were downright incredible. To the point where I had to stop the movie during the first "eating" incident. I literally could not watch her eating her own wrist. It's like that bit in Black Swan (2010) where she imagines herself ripping the skin down her arm - but worse. It was realistic, and disgusting, and kudos to the SFX squad. I wanted to vomit.
The direction was amazing. The movie was framed beautifully, from the shot on the casting couch, leaving Novella framed entirely alone in a room with three other guys, to the interior shots of the girls partying the night away in the club. Everything's done wonderfully, shot beautifully. Colour, light, shadow. The final scenes with Novella tied to the bed in the darkness with the makeshift Cone Of Shame on her head and the phone, her only source of light, illuminating her face, was my favourite.
But the acting really let it down. The bitchiness between Novella and Tracy might be Hollywood real - I wouldn't know - but it just seemed over-the-top fake. The dialogue was a great big ball of cheese encrusted in Cheese Doritos with cheese sauce and some Parmesan cheese grated on top just for extra damage - and when it's delivered by a cast who seem either amped up on caffeine or too bored to be on set, you're not entirely sure whether to keep watching to see WTF's going to happen, or to turn off and find something else.
And the final reveal isn't even worth it, because there's nothing throughout the movie to foreshadow the same-sex longings of Candice towards Novella. It's completely out of left field.
All in all? Five stars entirely for amazing direction and special effects. Sorry, acting crew! You just didn't do it for me this time.
If you're looking for a horror movie, THIS AIN'T IT.
I've never reviewed a movie before (not for lack of trying) but I just felt I had to review EAT (2014) for the simple fact that I was expecting a horror movie, from the synopsis and poster, and instead I got what should have been an incredible movie, turned into a dismally slow and disgustingly misogynistic one, with either over- or under-acted parts from all of the leads (except for Dr. Simon, who just seemed to be playing a forgettable mid-30s, could-have-been-anyone guy).
Don't get me wrong: the special effects were downright incredible. To the point where I had to stop the movie during the first "eating" incident. I literally could not watch her eating her own wrist. It's like that bit in Black Swan (2010) where she imagines herself ripping the skin down her arm - but worse. It was realistic, and disgusting, and kudos to the SFX squad. I wanted to vomit.
The direction was amazing. The movie was framed beautifully, from the shot on the casting couch, leaving Novella framed entirely alone in a room with three other guys, to the interior shots of the girls partying the night away in the club. Everything's done wonderfully, shot beautifully. Colour, light, shadow. The final scenes with Novella tied to the bed in the darkness with the makeshift Cone Of Shame on her head and the phone, her only source of light, illuminating her face, was my favourite.
But the acting really let it down. The bitchiness between Novella and Tracy might be Hollywood real - I wouldn't know - but it just seemed over-the-top fake. The dialogue was a great big ball of cheese encrusted in Cheese Doritos with cheese sauce and some Parmesan cheese grated on top just for extra damage - and when it's delivered by a cast who seem either amped up on caffeine or too bored to be on set, you're not entirely sure whether to keep watching to see WTF's going to happen, or to turn off and find something else.
And the final reveal isn't even worth it, because there's nothing throughout the movie to foreshadow the same-sex longings of Candice towards Novella. It's completely out of left field.
All in all? Five stars entirely for amazing direction and special effects. Sorry, acting crew! You just didn't do it for me this time.