| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jennifer Lawrence | ... | Mother | |
| Javier Bardem | ... | Him | |
| Ed Harris | ... | Man | |
| Michelle Pfeiffer | ... | Woman | |
| Brian Gleeson | ... | Younger Brother | |
| Domhnall Gleeson | ... | Oldest Son | |
| Jovan Adepo | ... | Cupbearer | |
| Amanda Chiu | ... | Damsel | |
| Patricia Summersett | ... | Consoler | |
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Eric Davis | ... | Bumbler |
| Raphael Grosz-Harvey | ... | Philanderer | |
| Emily Hampshire | ... | Fool | |
| Abraham Aronofsky | ... | Wanderer | |
| Luis Oliva | ... | Idler | |
| Stephanie Ng Wan | ... | Whisperer | |
Amidst a wild flat meadow encircled by an Edenic lush forest, a couple have cocooned themselves in a secluded mansion that was not so long ago burned to the ground, devotedly restored by the supportive wife. Within this safe environment, the once famous middle-aged poet husband is desirous of creating his magnum opus; however, he seems unable to break out of the persistent creative rut that haunts him. Then, unexpectedly, a knock at the door, the sudden arrival of a cryptic late-night visitor and his intrusive wife will stimulate the writer's stagnant imagination. Little by little, much to the perplexed wife's surprise, the more chaos he lets in their haven, the better for his punctured male ego. In the end, will this incremental mess blemish, irreparably, the couple's inviolable sanctuary? Written by Nick Riganas
Now I'm not one to disparage the director, I liked Requiem for a Dream and loved Black Swan, but this is a stinker and just simply boring. It's all just packed full of cod biblical allegories spread thickly throughout which tries to twist between different types of horror genres, but leaved me unintrigued.
Granted the settings, claustrophobic direction and acting are top notch but it shouldn't mask for what otherwise is a poor uninteresting movie. It unsettles and bores, way too much to care, and as the ending dragged on I was left increasingly frustrated as it refused to just shut up shop.
It's totally split opinion from what I've seen so far, and you'll struggle to find anyone in the middle on this one. In fairness, some credit to the film studios for risking this effort in launching it into mainstream cinemas but without the director it would have rightfully languished on cable late night showings.
There's no point going anymore into this. I simply hated it, and that despite being a major admirer of offbeat horror and psychological movies, but this isn't in the same league as for example Raw or Get Out, which is a shame. I'd recommend you pass on this there are far better films out there to go watch.