Thoroughbreds

2018 dark comedy

Rating: 13/20

Plot: I'm not doing a plot synopsis for this movie. Suck it.

Pet peeve: There's a scene with a chess board--one of those big ones that rich people like these characters might have in their yard--but the pieces are set up wrong and the character makes an illegal move with a knight. With this, Lean on Pete, and The Rider, this is becoming the Year of the Horse. This opens with a horse, and it might end with a horse, too, but I can't remember.

Despite a lot of style and interesting leads, this was underwhelming and probably a little pointless. I loved the bizarre percussion-heavy score, almost always unpredictable even when you start to get a little used to the whole thing. That score is by cellist Erik Friedlander, a frequent John Zorn collaborator. There's some visual style here, too. There are some great tracking shots through this immense house, all giving the proceedings a sense of foreboding. The opening single take introduction to both the house where most of the movie's actions take place and Olivia Cooke's character, who gets a great mirror scene. And there's a great use of sound effects, especially during one climactic scene that I wouldn't want to write about and spoil for all the people who are reading this.

I know I said the two main characters were interesting up there, but I think I've changed my mind mid-review. I've seen Heathers comparisons, but there's something a little darker with this pair played by Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy. One lacks emotions completely, but she becomes predictable over the course of the movie. It's the other character whose actions and reactions become more disturbing. This also contains one of Anton Yelchin's final performances, and he gets a fun, slimy character to play, one that is so lively in comparison to the more stilted performance of the young women.

As bad as some of the characters in this are, none of them can compare to one of the worst human beings of all time who makes an appearance on a television--Shirley Temple.

Favorite line: "Fuck no, I am not packing a spork." That was not said by Shirley Temple.