No One Gets Out Alive (2021)

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Somewhere out there is the novel, that may or may not fill in the numerous gaps and nigh infinite questions this movie leaves unaddressed. The film looks very pretty, with some beautiful sets and decent direction. The acting is serviceable, but a personal gripe is a very wobbly accent from the main character that only appears for brief moments to demonstrate character is mexican. There is decent commentary on the plight of the exploited immigrant classes, and as frustrating as it might be to watch characters make poor decisions, there’s a horror and discomfort at the understanding, the choices were barely choices and these characters are forced into circumstances they cannot possibly prepare for. There is a continued demonstration that spooks, spectres and entities are far less horrific than the atrocities humans commit to each other. The ghosts are sufficiently creepy, if voyeuristic, but again thematically: most of them cannot help but to be trapped by their circumstances. But the movie is unfortunately agonizingly predictable, up to the ludicrous appearance of the final reveal. Don’t get me wrong: some type of reveal was expected, but… this… Wretched CG gloriously, garishly lit all to better demonstrate the absolute nonsensical and incomprehensible creature design. I get they were going for some kind of surrealistic mesoamerican Bosch monstrosity, but I’ve seen better animation and design out of the Playstation era. It comes across laughable and non-threatening, which then gives way to another deluge of unanswered questions and an unresolved ending. I suspect the novel would have provided a far better experience or at the very least provided a single satisfying answer about what the hell is going on and maybe why this production was green-lit in the first place.

D