Add Don’t Move to the ongoing list of decent 2024 horror offerings; this one is from producer Sam Raimi and currently streaming on Netflix. There’s really no way to discuss the film without some kind of spoilers, so … SPOILER ALERT!
The title of the film, directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, successfully embodies what it’s about. Iris (Kelsey Asbille), depressed after the death of her young son, goes for a walk with sad intentions. She winds up fighting for her life after Richard (Finn Wittrock), a stranger she encounters, injects her with a paralyzing agent. His intentions are not kind.
The film is gimmicky for sure, but it’s a well-played gimmick. Iris must find ways to communicate and defend herself while being under the spell of the drug. As its effects wear off, the film becomes a little implausible in that the script makes the villain just so danged dumb.
Asbille is absolutely terrific in a role that relies so much upon her face to be emotionless, and her body stiff. With that, she somehow delivers a full-bodied, deep performance. She’s appeared in Yellowstone and Fargo on TV, but I’m thinking this will be the breakout role that could make her more prominent on the big screen.
Wittrock is a memorable and scary villain. As he proves in a spellbinding pre-credits scene, his Richard has the appearance of being a genuinely nice guy at first. But he’s not nice. He’s really, really not nice.
Netto and Schindler have the standard horror-scene scenarios to work with here. (Old guy in the woods tries to help; villain must stop for gas without being noticed as a bad guy, etc.) Much credit to them for making typical horror tropes interesting and suspenseful.
Ultimately, the film works well thanks to Asbille and Wittrock, who labor to provide an experience that is surprisingly clever despite its predictability, and well-acted to a highly commendable degree.
Don’t Move is now streaming on Netflix.
The post Honorable horror: Surprising cleverness and good performances put Netflix’s ‘Don’t Move’ over the top appeared first on Reno News & Review.