1917 : Artistic, Stylistic, but Not Universal

Let’s be honest – being nominated for many awards doesn’t mean that everyone is going to enjoy a movie. Sometimes it’s exactly the opposite, because what usually gets a movie nominated for awards is more for critics who understand the facets of film, rather than the casual moviegoer who is generally looking for an enjoyable evening. But I do think that even the movies that focus on artistry, style and technique can have something for casual viewers, if they are willing to have an open mind. And the flip side of the coin is that if you truly want your movie to stand the test of time, you need to find the balance between style and story, to create something that can be both awarded and enjoyed. 1917 sometimes struggles to find that path, because they devote a great deal of their time to creating an atmosphere. While that is a great start, it doesn’t always pay off, because it builds up to a story that never quite reaches the same level of greatness. But does this mean that it’s not a film worth watching? I wouldn’t say so, but that’s up to each person, because style and story preferences make or break the experience.

The Forest Hesitates, Loses Ground

*Warning: Potential Spoilers*

It’s one thing for a horror movie to be based on a true story, it’s quite another for one to be based not on a story but a place, somewhere real you can visit and where it’s less about ghosts and spirits and more about the overwhelming weight of mental illness and pain. The real Aokigahara Forest may not be haunted like The Forest portrays it as, but there’s still something haunting about it, and had The Forest chosen this as a route to tell the story of this place, it may have been a more excellent movie. As a horror, there is a certain level of bone-chilling, but it feels like the filmmakers lost a bit of confidence in themselves as well.