Reading the bright reviews is shocking. The acting is very awkward and flat where the dialogue could have been light and charming. There's no personality and no real grasp or connection the audience can make with the main character due to his monotonous tone. The first-person narrative is laughable. The audio is outright awful at some points. Aside from how it was executed, the plot was interesting-- but again, the acting is a huuge turn off.
21 Reviews
Tell Tale
jasminekorus-526175 July 2020
Thus film is fairly on point with narcissism. It speaks volumes to about how society is so focused on perception and not what's inside. I will admit I was a bit thrown off when I saw straight snorting coke scenes but other than that it was a decent movie.
It has a really good second act. Great message.
Novelist_3 July 2020
Okay. This movie.. It actually really does have a great message. If you are going to watch it, I recommend you ignore pretty much all of the first act. I spent the entire time watching the first 20 minutes or so, rolling my eyes and "ugh"ing. BUT, the second half left me pretty invested in the main characters growth and the love story developing. I wish we had a lot more of this in the movie.
The movie is very very VERY low budget. But I think it was done okay.
Critiques: I don't think the movie needed the vulgar or soft p**n scenes, it added nothing to the story. I skipped them actually. I didn't care for the twist at the end. I would have rather the story just went on as it was going.
Other than that, I felt that the main character went from very hated in my mind to rooting for his growth and change. And that's a very good thing. I just wish he would have been better to the people around him. Especially Alana. And that we had more closure than what was given (his addiction, why did he receive the glass, what now for Lana and him?, what are the details of his life now?)
Critiques: I don't think the movie needed the vulgar or soft p**n scenes, it added nothing to the story. I skipped them actually. I didn't care for the twist at the end. I would have rather the story just went on as it was going.
Other than that, I felt that the main character went from very hated in my mind to rooting for his growth and change. And that's a very good thing. I just wish he would have been better to the people around him. Especially Alana. And that we had more closure than what was given (his addiction, why did he receive the glass, what now for Lana and him?, what are the details of his life now?)
Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but
fieaoremaolmuire1 November 2019
Movie has an overall score of 4.5 (160 votes). 16 out of 17 reviews are expressing great praise. All were written ON 2 NOVEMBER 2018 by accounts created in NOVEMBER 2018 who have NO OTHER RATINGS.
Are you kidding me? They didn't even try to be discreet about it.
And yeah, this movie was utter rubbish. Not even LAUGHABLY bad, just totally terrible. (Admittedly, I didn't finish watching it, but I doubt there was any improvement.) As if a horned up teenager saw American Psycho and thought to himself, I can do something like that, but better and with tits!
And yeah, this movie was utter rubbish. Not even LAUGHABLY bad, just totally terrible. (Admittedly, I didn't finish watching it, but I doubt there was any improvement.) As if a horned up teenager saw American Psycho and thought to himself, I can do something like that, but better and with tits!
Really Love...Just needed more
larrytunnelvision2 November 2018
Okay..this film is pretty solid...but..I just needed a little bit more. I loved the FIRST and THIRD ACT of the film, however the 2nd act wasa missing something. It seemed to be little rushed and doesn't quite develop naturally. It could be because of the lack of budget or inexperience of writing. The direction of the film was dexterously executed and characters are likeable. I just needed that Act 2 to be stronger, never the less the little indie film is a hidden gem, that I recommend people to check out.
Gritty film with a Great Message! Surprisingly GOOD
larueby2 November 2018
This indie micro budget film, is probably one of the most creative stories I've seen this year! Beauty and the Beholder, follows the story of a Plastic surgeon who chooses artificial enhancement over natural beauty. Brilliant film! Although the film does suffer from some budget deficiencies, it makes up for it with a gritty cinematography and interesting characters. I would recommend this film.
Suprised,
pencekendrick2 November 2018
I was avoiding watching this movie for months because I thought it was going to be a typical indie love story. I was completely surprised by the high level of acting .Only a few minor characters were poor actors, but all the main actors/actresses were amazing.
HIllarious Film!
dedesmith-331702 November 2018
Beauty and the Beholder is hilariously good. Great direction and story line. Favorite line in the Film "You know what they say about opinions, their like a******* everyone has one and the all stink. Good little indie film.
Awesome film!
markusnatural2 November 2018
Good film with a great twist! I was actually enjoyed the film and it's message. Writing was really good for an independent film. After the film ended my wife and I engaged in a long conversation about the film. I don't don't want to spoil it, but the story was pretty deep.
Indie Cult Classic!
lawandacarver2 November 2018
Wonderful Movie!
mchllmanno2 November 2018
I wasn't sure how or if I would enjoy this, but...I truly did.
It is a wonderful, honest, thought-provoking and real movie.
It has you thinking about scenes long after you are onto the several more and I will be watching this again.
Really decent film, Didn't fall asleep
sheliakkennedy2 November 2018
I'm not into low budget artsy film and typically usually fall asleep on these type of films. I didn't fall asleep on this films, it was pretty decent and entertaining. I think somebody on board said that the film is similar to For Lovers Only, I fell asleep on that film...lol It took me 2 days to finish For Lovers Only. This film kept me engaged and Dr. Neiman has no filter and is brutally honest. I absolutely loved his assistant, Summer! This film was really well directed and written, but in some parts you can see that this film was made cheaply.
Woman you must See this!
fishernaturalhair2 November 2018
Surprisingly loved this film!
mallovesthemovies2 November 2018
This film is brutally honest and pretty dang funny. I wasn't sure what to expect since there weren't any known actors listed on the credits but it was still a great story and the writing was surprisingly hilarious. My 9/10 rating is mainly for the awesome writing and story line, I am rarely able to laugh out loud or be shocked by anything.
Also, I can tell it's a low budget film which others may criticize, but I appreciate art whether it's a 30 million dollar budget of a few hundred thousand (? guessing). So, yes, the acting struggled at times because these aren't comparable characters to A-listers, but overall I really respect this movie!
Good things to note - it's pretty vulgar and has a lot of sexually explicit language, so brace yourself and definitely not appropriate for kids. Not for the faint at heart either as there are a few surgery scenes. I had to look away so I can't say how graphic they were but I saw enough to fast-forward. Overall, the story sends a thought provoking message that keeps you thinking about it well after the movie ends. I really appreciated the ending, again, very creative!
Also, I can tell it's a low budget film which others may criticize, but I appreciate art whether it's a 30 million dollar budget of a few hundred thousand (? guessing). So, yes, the acting struggled at times because these aren't comparable characters to A-listers, but overall I really respect this movie!
Good things to note - it's pretty vulgar and has a lot of sexually explicit language, so brace yourself and definitely not appropriate for kids. Not for the faint at heart either as there are a few surgery scenes. I had to look away so I can't say how graphic they were but I saw enough to fast-forward. Overall, the story sends a thought provoking message that keeps you thinking about it well after the movie ends. I really appreciated the ending, again, very creative!
Simply Brillant and Sexy!
minorr-890622 November 2018
Talk about a conversational piece! Beauty and the Beholder, is really a sexy film. The film takes the viewer inside the minds of what some men and woman think about, when it comes to identifying beauty, Unique script! Most of the characters are solid! However there is some poor acting in some spots, that's why I gave the film a 9 instead of 10!
Dope Story
knightdarren2 November 2018
A good watch. Storyline is good and different
johnapplebee-9594731 December 2018
The story was different and good. The acting was solid enough to carry the story. I love the direction. It started out as a comedy with a dr who didn't care about anything besides making money and shaping women the way he thought they should be but it all changed when he found the woman who wasn't buying his BS. The twist at the end was great. Don't want to give to much away lol
Plastic Fantastic
TheAll-SeeingI22 December 2018
LaRon Austin's Beauty and the Beholder is an extremely well-conceived story. In this version of the Beauty and the Beast parable, the first candidate for either role - solid actor and pretty man-boy Ruan Martin - is a plastic surgeon with a wee bit of a cocaine habit and an unhealthy perception of what real beauty is and means. He's also pointedly unlikeable at first, verging on deplorable - until, of course, true beauty walks into this beast's life, and begins to slowly melt the sharpest edges off of this cold and narcissistic iceberg.
Director Austin dangerously but very purposefully puts our man's relationship with the viewer in a deep hole, and then coyly uses an arsenal of storytelling constructs to dig him out. At first, it's hard to imagine this character's successful emotional redemption. But therein lies the challenge Austin surely wanted to burden himself with to test his own chops as a storyteller, and he ultimately wins the battle in grand style.
This isn't a Disney movie of old, or of new. Arguable vulgarity, sexually-pointed dialogue, and some surgical scenes that could prove gruesome to the unsuspecting eye are all storytelling implements used by Beauty and the Beholder, but I'd argue they're not cumulatively gratuitous, and instead are well-chosen in that they successfully serve the director's tonal purpose. Kudos to Austin, too, for not laying down on the job once he's successfully put an emerging shine on our plastic surgeon: Instead of trailing off into the sunshine and happiness of predictable endings, we instead find ourself with a finish that neither conforms nor goes gently into that dark night, and it further stakes out this film as a truly accomplished piece of storytelling.
Director Austin dangerously but very purposefully puts our man's relationship with the viewer in a deep hole, and then coyly uses an arsenal of storytelling constructs to dig him out. At first, it's hard to imagine this character's successful emotional redemption. But therein lies the challenge Austin surely wanted to burden himself with to test his own chops as a storyteller, and he ultimately wins the battle in grand style.
This isn't a Disney movie of old, or of new. Arguable vulgarity, sexually-pointed dialogue, and some surgical scenes that could prove gruesome to the unsuspecting eye are all storytelling implements used by Beauty and the Beholder, but I'd argue they're not cumulatively gratuitous, and instead are well-chosen in that they successfully serve the director's tonal purpose. Kudos to Austin, too, for not laying down on the job once he's successfully put an emerging shine on our plastic surgeon: Instead of trailing off into the sunshine and happiness of predictable endings, we instead find ourself with a finish that neither conforms nor goes gently into that dark night, and it further stakes out this film as a truly accomplished piece of storytelling.
Great Movie
kingblake-040682 November 2018
Helps one self reflect.
bhargavisunkari22 September 2021
Dr. Joseph Nieman the central figure of the story and its narrator is a plastic surgeon of great acclaim but has toxic beliefs about beauty that he sometimes (most of the time) carelessly unloads onto his patients. As the movie proceeds he realizes his insecurities caused by his childhood and proceeds to work on them when he meets a woman who refuses his sales pitch of plastic surgery and stars to like her for showing him a mirror and making him reflect about what he is doing wrong. He works on his insecurities and hopes that with her by his side he can battle them with ease ,but all too soon realizes that life is never that easy.
One of the main themes of this movie is beauty and how toxic it has become in the view of society feeding on the insecurities of individuals and how this has become a profitable opportunity for a few. I personally come from an environment where natural beauty is very valued but people around me are of various cultures and beliefs so everyone around me holds a very different perception of beauty from each other. The only reason I find any one around me is unsatisfied with their looks is because they get easily influenced by social media etc. And are unable to realize that no one other than themselves in real life really cares about how they look, the movie made me realize how deep a persons simple insecurity can run if they are not made aware of this fact like Stella.
The movies end is quite ambiguous and as I didn't quite understand it iIinterpret the movie in a light I want to see it in which is, optimistic.
One of the main themes of this movie is beauty and how toxic it has become in the view of society feeding on the insecurities of individuals and how this has become a profitable opportunity for a few. I personally come from an environment where natural beauty is very valued but people around me are of various cultures and beliefs so everyone around me holds a very different perception of beauty from each other. The only reason I find any one around me is unsatisfied with their looks is because they get easily influenced by social media etc. And are unable to realize that no one other than themselves in real life really cares about how they look, the movie made me realize how deep a persons simple insecurity can run if they are not made aware of this fact like Stella.
The movies end is quite ambiguous and as I didn't quite understand it iIinterpret the movie in a light I want to see it in which is, optimistic.
Absorbing and recommended
Phil_Chester2 December 2018
The writing and performances really drew me in to this film at the start, when it plays as a very cutting attack on the world of plastic surgery. Once the film has its feet under the table and has your attention, it switches to a fascinating will-they/won't-they love story, as our hero thinks he may have finally found "the one". Really absorbing and definitely recommended.
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