Interesting premise. Could've gone the horror route but it didn't. The trash imagery is really cool and atmospheric. This movie was entertaining enough for what it is... The graphics and overall style reminded me of 80s and 90s thrillers. You don't expect to see an Oscar winning movie, but you expect to have fun. And this was a fun ride. Had some pretty good moments. Also, Linda Blair and Christine Elise! Nice touch. American Ninja guy and other cameos too. Really cool cast ensemble.
I liked the colors and the visuals of the trash scenes were nice. You feel like you are actually vicariously in the realm world between reality and fantasy/ heaven and earth (for the dead ones) which was pretty creative. I became emotionally invested early on and the overall impact of this work struck a chord in me.
It's also thematically rich and filled with symbolism and metaphors. Notice how the little girl's death is cleverly foreshadowed at some point earlier on in the movie (basement scene) you could almost tell exactly what happened to her, by watching her doppelganger of a doll get buried... As our lead questions it, leaving her distraught. Other little metaphors are implanted here and there too. Even the lesson the teacher was teaching in class was about a Phoenix rising from the ashes, to become a stronger being. Similarly, the Phoenix in the picture could easily be metaphoric, referring to the murdered girl (Dorsan), after all, we learn later through her diaries that it's also what she resembled herself to. Calling herself in a drawing (Phoenix girl) she had lived a similar life to that of a Phoenix's. Coincidence? I think not. Also, the lead telling her dad that she wants to be a helper. A lot of resemblances in both girls' lives, "a hug from a grieving mother " both moms were grieving mothers. I think this was the writer/director's strongest suit.
There's no amount of philosophical high-roading that could stop the murdered girl from wanting herself and her loved one in the same place again. The ending features the fulfilment of both girls' and their mothers' utmost desires; being set free, reunited, strong, living, loving and free. If you take this film as a strange admixture of drama, family, murder, thriller/suspense and a fantasy in the vein of a children's book, it all works perfectly. But it also works for adults as well. Some of the characters could have been better fleshed out and given more characteristics, as they seemed a bit 2 dimensional and cliched. And that's where my low score goes. That and statistically speaking, a movie with such genre should've been shorter. It was a tad long. But I find that no one really follows a set structure these days when it comes to movie lengths, with some even being over 2 hours. While the lead was a decent actress for her age, I found that some of the stuff said by the kid actors was delivered without necessarily being understood, which kind of killed the effect. Maybe more coaching was needed for those desired moments. I've waited a long time to see this, but I did enjoy it after all. I would recommend seeing this movie if you like this kind of mixture of genres, but not if you're going into it expecting gore and horror, as it never claimed to be that. My vote is 6.5/10.
I liked the colors and the visuals of the trash scenes were nice. You feel like you are actually vicariously in the realm world between reality and fantasy/ heaven and earth (for the dead ones) which was pretty creative. I became emotionally invested early on and the overall impact of this work struck a chord in me.
It's also thematically rich and filled with symbolism and metaphors. Notice how the little girl's death is cleverly foreshadowed at some point earlier on in the movie (basement scene) you could almost tell exactly what happened to her, by watching her doppelganger of a doll get buried... As our lead questions it, leaving her distraught. Other little metaphors are implanted here and there too. Even the lesson the teacher was teaching in class was about a Phoenix rising from the ashes, to become a stronger being. Similarly, the Phoenix in the picture could easily be metaphoric, referring to the murdered girl (Dorsan), after all, we learn later through her diaries that it's also what she resembled herself to. Calling herself in a drawing (Phoenix girl) she had lived a similar life to that of a Phoenix's. Coincidence? I think not. Also, the lead telling her dad that she wants to be a helper. A lot of resemblances in both girls' lives, "a hug from a grieving mother " both moms were grieving mothers. I think this was the writer/director's strongest suit.
There's no amount of philosophical high-roading that could stop the murdered girl from wanting herself and her loved one in the same place again. The ending features the fulfilment of both girls' and their mothers' utmost desires; being set free, reunited, strong, living, loving and free. If you take this film as a strange admixture of drama, family, murder, thriller/suspense and a fantasy in the vein of a children's book, it all works perfectly. But it also works for adults as well. Some of the characters could have been better fleshed out and given more characteristics, as they seemed a bit 2 dimensional and cliched. And that's where my low score goes. That and statistically speaking, a movie with such genre should've been shorter. It was a tad long. But I find that no one really follows a set structure these days when it comes to movie lengths, with some even being over 2 hours. While the lead was a decent actress for her age, I found that some of the stuff said by the kid actors was delivered without necessarily being understood, which kind of killed the effect. Maybe more coaching was needed for those desired moments. I've waited a long time to see this, but I did enjoy it after all. I would recommend seeing this movie if you like this kind of mixture of genres, but not if you're going into it expecting gore and horror, as it never claimed to be that. My vote is 6.5/10.