Uh, that was A M A Z I N G .
I had no idea...vaguely remembered the trailer from many moons ago...took a chance and, by recollection, I'd say it's the best film I've seen in 2020 thus far.
Feels beautifully intricate and oh so carefully done.
I was hooked by the gorgeous (narrated) prose that opens the film and within 10 minutes figured it was based on some tremendous book.
Bingo.
It feels authentic, handmade, meticulously crafted, sculpted in the first person like, say, other award-winning books of fiction or autobiographies that became movies (Ordinary People, The Prince of Tides, The Glass Castle, Stand by Me, Life of Pi, The Help, No Country for Old Men, etc.). I'm pretty sure you won't put it on quite those pedestals due to its gothic, psychological thriller nature but, if you can simply enjoy it for its fantastic storytelling, well then, that'll be something now, won't it?
It's not evil; it's more of this constant, unrelenting sense of doom and dread.
When it was over, I had to really dive into the backstory of the author, and what a fascinating life he's lived! Good for him!
I hate recommending films others may hate, so don't hold me to it, but I will say that if you appreciate really good films—no matter their hardships or dark underbellies—then you will appreciate The Devil All the Time.
Feels very Oscar-worthy to me, if not for all the acting, then surely the screenplay or production or direction or something.
My oh my oh my, it's very, very, very good.
