The cinematic law of the Atrocity Boomerang states that the more vicious the baddie is to a victim, the worse he will get it back once the victim has their chance. By the end of the second act, the audience is looking forward to the traditional tables turning with Walter getting his comeuppance, as is usually the case with captive women movies. But Mandell’s third act defies convention and expectations in unexpected and unpleasant ways. He doesn’t follow the Atrocity Boomerang at all, letting all that anticipation of retribution build up with no release.
This is intentional, as is the story’s disturbing descent into the unspeakable acts that usually happen when a woman is kidnapped. It is at this point that The Movie becomes excruciating to finish, as the situation gets worse and worse. While rebelling against convention is a natural part of cinematic storytelling evolution, Mandell paints himself into an almost indefensible corner here. His choices have resulted in the kind of glorification of misogyny Ebert used to rail against back in the day. The problem is that the movies Ebert singled out, like Mother’s Day and I Spit on Your Grave, followed the Atrocity Boomerang with the brutalized women disfiguring their attackers. Here we have a finale that will make a dark pit filled with ice cubes inside your stomach.
“…one of the best performances by an actress showing the world what real agony looks like.”
All this being said, this is worthwhile for a few reasons. Considering it was filmed on iPhones, it is surprisingly well shot, with good angles to break up the claustrophobic setting. There is a surprise event halfway through that freshens up the viewing experience before the third act plunge.
However, the biggest reason to watch this is Root’s world-shattering performance as Janet. She’s more than just a good sport — she’s phenomenally talented and does a stellar job here. Root’s character provides the reality-grounded perspective, matching the audience’s disbelief and disapproval over the moronic efforts of Pistilli’s character. She also plays it completely straight and serious, which is how an actor should approach a farce. The intensity of Root’s portrayal is a dark wonder to behold.
Despite being soaked in controversy and having more triggers than a red-state gun show, The Movie does have one of the best performances by an actress showing the world what real agony looks like.
"…a surprise event halfway through that freshens up the viewing experience..."
