Run time: 1hr 50mins
I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed it! I’ve never seen Hugh Grant in a role like this and honestly he’s a natural at playing a total creep/religious nut. Topher Grace was a surprisingly nice addition as a small side character. It’s interesting that he’s in this movie considering all his cast mates on that 70s show ended up being scientologist. I saw in interviews that the 2 lead actresses are both former LDS members and were raised in the church. I think that brought some great depth to their characters. I have my own extensive history with religion so I was really curious as to what kind of message this movie was trying to send. I think I liked the message but I’ll leave interpretation up to you. It is a bit of a “slow burn” and is much more dialogue heavy than trailers suggest but I liked that aspect. The discussions taking place are poignant and while you of course are rooting for the 2 girls, Grant’s character brings up some very important points, especially regarding polygamy within the church. I was also pleasantly surprised by the horror elements. It’s not overly filled with jump scares but it does have some great suspense and tension. I will admit I was expecting something a bit bigger like Dante’s Inferno and the layers of hell, which is hinted at several times in the movie. However, it really only takes place in 3 or 4 different rooms. The trailers and title font also suggest Saw-esque traps and puzzles which wasn’t really the case. Which isn’t a bad thing, just may be misinterpreted by some audiences. Overall I found this movie really thought provoking and entertaining but more of a slow burn than expected. I give it an 8/10. I need some blue berry pie.