FINISHED! I gave it a six. Curtis summed up a lot of what I had to say...

I will say that I read the book so I knew what I was getting into. I thought the movie knew what it was and effectively pulled us in and made us uncomfortable with a lot of the subject matter without having to take it to an exploitative level.

JGL was great, leaps and bounds above everyone else to be honest. I couldn't really get into the other boy's acting. His accent and repetitive tone of talking just didn't do it for me.

I loved the way the movie was shot. Moments definitely felt like they were shot to mimic a dream-like experience which ties in nicely to the story. Those close-ups were always so haunting and super effective. Props to the actors for being able to convey so much with just their face.

My biggest qualm, and why I gave it a six, was the editing. The transitions for a lot of the scenes felt so rushed. We'd get a really emotional moment and almost immediately cut to a different scene. The movie never wanted to take it's time until the end (which was probably my favorite part). You could definitely tell that it was a movie based on a book. I would love to see them redo this but in a limited series format. They could take the time they needed and expand on the story that was trying to be told here.

Good movie! Super glad we all got to watch it.

Just finished. Going to end around a 6/7 for me.


Agree with a lot that's been written. JGL does a great job. He's portrayed very well. The kinda guy you wonder why these people like him so much (even his female friend warns people about him) but he does kinda pull you in.
I didn't mind the other kids acting either though. He seemed like the kinda adult i could have seen that kid grow into, if that makes sense.

This was very difficult to watch at times, but I think it was handled very well. The movie really just brought everything home.

I don't know how you can watch this one more than once though. Watching it really leaves me drained.

I also wish i hadn't known anything about the movie going in, because this deserves to be watched blind. Instead i was a little hesitant.

All in all very well put together movie and I liked the people in it.

Ended with a 7 for me.

Yeah, it seems as if everyone had the same thoughts about this one! Glad you guys were able to enjoy it despite it’s mentally depleting nature! <3

ps. Check out more of Araki’s stuff. This movie is definitely his most mature film, but a lot of his stuff (especially his early stuff) is really wacky and crazy. Def not for everyone, but again - killer soundtracks! <3. Give it a shot. The Teen Apocolypse Trilogy is a great place to start!

But yeah, it was fun but all things must come to an end so new things can be born (ain’t I a cheesy little bitch), so I’ll be passing the remote to Brian!

pps. I saw Slowdive yesterday - travelled to Austin for it. It’s a band that is feature heavily in this movie. Great fucking concert! <3

Thanks for the pick! I always like watching things i never would have discovered on my own.