This could have been a great YA fantasy movie! The actual bare bones of the idea is fantastic, but the delivery was really disappointing.
I think one of the main issues is that its trying to create too much conflict in too many areas, which results in you never being emotionally invested in any of them and it all falls flat and 'meh'.
So you're introduced to a family conflict with the female lead, a conflict over a dead parent, an additional conflict with her new family members, a conflict with the ensemble characters, and another conflict with family members within that ensemble, and another with the antagonist. See what I mean? What are you supposed to care about?? The beginning drags unnecessarily with the initial couple of concepts (which are never properly resolved) and then thrown into the next ones with no emotional investment.
I don't like being down on young actors normally, but in this instance none of their performances were strong enough to overcome a bad and bloated script, and the main character was actually pretty unlikeable. Rude, curt, with bizarre emotional outbursts, it doesnt make any sense why everyone seems to love her.
I was left with the impression that there was a large amount of fat to trim from this film. It didnt need 80% of the supposed conflict, it just needed one - the main characters guilt, thats it. And it would have had a much more powerful effect than the ocean of crap ruining it.
I found it a shame because the fantasy and dream walking aspect would have been much more fun to lean into more and explore. I finished it really disappointed.
I think one of the main issues is that its trying to create too much conflict in too many areas, which results in you never being emotionally invested in any of them and it all falls flat and 'meh'.
So you're introduced to a family conflict with the female lead, a conflict over a dead parent, an additional conflict with her new family members, a conflict with the ensemble characters, and another conflict with family members within that ensemble, and another with the antagonist. See what I mean? What are you supposed to care about?? The beginning drags unnecessarily with the initial couple of concepts (which are never properly resolved) and then thrown into the next ones with no emotional investment.
I don't like being down on young actors normally, but in this instance none of their performances were strong enough to overcome a bad and bloated script, and the main character was actually pretty unlikeable. Rude, curt, with bizarre emotional outbursts, it doesnt make any sense why everyone seems to love her.
I was left with the impression that there was a large amount of fat to trim from this film. It didnt need 80% of the supposed conflict, it just needed one - the main characters guilt, thats it. And it would have had a much more powerful effect than the ocean of crap ruining it.
I found it a shame because the fantasy and dream walking aspect would have been much more fun to lean into more and explore. I finished it really disappointed.