Reviews

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

March 27, 2020
4.0
I left the screening of “Horse Girl” with a deep dissatisfaction, a film that is an odd misstep from director Jeff Baena (“Life After Beth,” “Joshy”). The first half of the film is awkwardly charming, but then it becomes something completely different in the worst possible way. The goodwill earned from the oddball sensibility of the story is derailed when things go in a completely “WTF?!” direction. This is a dark movie that gets weird for no good reason, and it feels like the project becomes a victim of writers (Baena and Alison Brie) who can’t figure out the ending to their story so they take the weird route. It’s lazy, sloppy, and super disappointing. The goofy and sweet Sarah (Brie) has a quiet and fairly simple life. She spends her days working at a crafts store, her afternoons visiting an equestrian center, and her evenings in from of the t.v. watching her favorite supernatural crime show. When her coworker Joan (Molly Shannon) gives her a DNA testing kit for her birthday, it sparks a curiosity about her family history that leads to a pattern of sleepwalking episodes and disturbing dreams. These visions begin to seep into her daily reality, making the fine line Sarah walks between what’s real and what’s fake even more blurred. Is she a clone? Is it the work of extraterrestrials? Or is her family history of paranoid schizophrenia finally starting to affect her? The mystery aspects of the story are interesting, and Baena treats his characters with tenderness and respect. The film is at its best when it presents as a quirky character study and its worst when it becomes too abstract. It isn’t the serious and depressing plot points that ruin the film, but it’s the outlandish finale that honestly makes no sense whatsoever. The ending feels like a slap in the face to those dealing with mental illness as much as it does to the audience.

Recommendation Movies

4.2
Horror
View
4.2
The Toybox
The Toybox2018
7.2
Comedy
View
7.2
Sardar Ka Grandson
Sardar Ka Grandson2021
5.9
Thriller
View
5.9
When the Bough Breaks
When the Bough Breaks1994
5.2
Thriller
View
5.2
Every Time I Die
Every Time I Die2020
8.2
Drama
View
8.2
Orphan Horse
Orphan Horse2018
6.2
Comedy
View
6.2
Grace
Grace2018
7.1
Comedy
View
7.1
No sabe, no contesta
No sabe, no contesta2002
7.4
Comedy
View
7.4
Mike Birbiglia: The New One
Mike Birbiglia: The New One2019
8.2
Drama
View
8.2
Nise: The Heart of Madness
Nise: The Heart of Madness2016
5.6
Comedy
View
5.6
One-Way to Tomorrow
One-Way to Tomorrow2020
7.3
Documentary
View
7.3
King of Clones
King of Clones2023
6.4
Animation
View
6.4
The Wonderland
The Wonderland2019
7
Comedy
View
7
Dream Horse
Dream Horse2021
6.3
Drama
View
6.3
The New Romantic
The New Romantic2018
7.1
Action
View
7.1
THE FABLE: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill
THE FABLE: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill2021
5.2
Horror
View
5.2
The Block Island Sound
The Block Island Sound2021
7.7
Documentary
View
7.7
Minding the Gap
Minding the Gap2018
6.2
Drama
View
6.2
Blow the Man Down
Blow the Man Down2019
6
Drama
View
6
Shirley
Shirley2020
6.2
Drama
View
6.2
The Coldest Game
The Coldest Game2019
© 2024 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt