Films such as "Gone Girl" have proven that big screen adaptation of novels can be accurate representations of their source material. Literally transforming these hundreds of pages into an experience that readers and viewers can both attest to being equally great in both mediums. Sadly, "No Exit" isn't one of those adaptations. And while the film is a shell of the Taylor Adams best-selling novel, the film at least ends it quick and with a bang that the time spent wallowing in mediocrity became memorable by the time the credits rolled
Recovering addict Darby (Havana Rose Liu) learns that her mother has had an aneurysm is taken to the hospital in critical condition. She finds a way to escape rehab and attempts to drive to Salt Lake City. But while traversing a secluded mountain road, she finds out that there is a blizzard in her midst forcing her to stay overnight at a local visitors center. She is not alone though and there are four other people with her. As she tries to find a signal so she can contact her sister, she ends up discovering a kidnapped girl in a van belonging to one of the people inside.
For a whodunnit film, "No Exit" literally forgot to bring in any character development. Literally minutes from stepping into the visitor's center and barely knowing anyone around her, our lead character Darby already finds the kidnapped girl inside the van. We never get any back story on the others are outside a name and a card game of called Bullshit. This extremely brisk pace caught us off guard especially that we have read the actual novel were the film was based on. This was very far from its source material which meticulouosly spent its time introducing Darby and her nuanced observations. it also doesn't help that the film's actors had spectacularly bad and awkward performances (especially Havana Rose Liu as Darby) which meant that the film had this B-movie vibe throughout its running time. The only saving grace in our opinion was the intense last half of the film. It was riveting, gripping, and unpredictable. It was the kind of crazy that should have been implemented throughout its running time but only made in its last twenty minutes.
Rating: 2 and a half reels
Why you should watch it:
- the last twenty or so minutes was riveting and crazy and proves what this film could have been throughout its runtime
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- as a whodunnit experience, the character build up was lackluster
- bad and awkward acting from most if not all of the cast
Comments
Post a Comment