The psychological thriller You Should Have Left (R; 94 minutes) crawled its way on DVD & Digital on July 28th. Universal Pictures planned on releasing the film in theatres this year, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic the Blumhouse produced flick went straight to VOD in June.
Based on the novella of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann, You Should Have Left reunites the Stir of Echoes director David Koepp with actor Kevin Bacon. The plot centers on a banker, Theo Conroy (played by Bacon), his younger actress wife, Susanna (played by Amanda Seyfried), and their daughter, Ella (played by Avery Essex), traveling to Welsh countryside for a mini-vacation at a rented house.
From the outside, the house looks normal, but there’s something sinister lurking inside that’s been waiting for David.
Based on the novella of the same name by Daniel Kehlmann, You Should Have Left reunites the Stir of Echoes director David Koepp with actor Kevin Bacon. The plot centers on a banker, Theo Conroy (played by Bacon), his younger actress wife, Susanna (played by Amanda Seyfried), and their daughter, Ella (played by Avery Essex), traveling to Welsh countryside for a mini-vacation at a rented house.
From the outside, the house looks normal, but there’s something sinister lurking inside that’s been waiting for David.
Final Thoughts
You Should Have Left is one of those movies that if you say too much about the plot, you’ll end up giving away the ending. I’ve read several reviews from moviegoers who thought the movie was boring. It’s a called a “slow burner.” I found nothing wrong with the pacing because I prefer horror flicks that slowly builds up the suspense towards a big twist, which there is a twist here.
Conroy’s marital problems take up the first half of the film. The latter half has David and his daughter alone at the house, and this is where the horror kicks into full gear, as an entity torments them.
The big twist is predictable. I’m not surprised how it ended because I guessed it after the first fifteen minutes. Without giving too much away, let's just say it's very similar to What Lies Beneath.
Where’s the Blu-ray? I find it odd for a Universal/Blumhouse hybrid not to have a Blu-ray release. Maybe it has something to with COVID-19 and only DVDs could be produced. However, there’s no excuse for the lack of special features and extras.
The only jest I have is with the writing, especially during the latter half. There were one or two jump scares, but poorly executed. Also, the film should have been 15 to 20 minutes longer with more terrifying scenes.
Overall, You Should Have Left is a well-directed psychological thriller with an amazing cast, but the final result feels a bit off.
Conroy’s marital problems take up the first half of the film. The latter half has David and his daughter alone at the house, and this is where the horror kicks into full gear, as an entity torments them.
The big twist is predictable. I’m not surprised how it ended because I guessed it after the first fifteen minutes. Without giving too much away, let's just say it's very similar to What Lies Beneath.
Where’s the Blu-ray? I find it odd for a Universal/Blumhouse hybrid not to have a Blu-ray release. Maybe it has something to with COVID-19 and only DVDs could be produced. However, there’s no excuse for the lack of special features and extras.
The only jest I have is with the writing, especially during the latter half. There were one or two jump scares, but poorly executed. Also, the film should have been 15 to 20 minutes longer with more terrifying scenes.
Overall, You Should Have Left is a well-directed psychological thriller with an amazing cast, but the final result feels a bit off.
No comments:
Post a Comment
“The plot thickens… especially when you comment.” 〜B.J. Burgess