The Cleanse

source: The Cleanse

That was a strange movie. Doesn't really go anywhere. Just meanders without any real conflict. Kind if a WTf ending too. Strange.

Use 4 large jars of gunk, throw it up to produce a ridiculous rubber cabbage patch doll which is the embodiment of all your negativity which you need to murder. Or to put it another way., this film. No comedy at all. No horror. Dire anamatronics. So ridiculous that maybe that's the comedy element. I kept waiting for something, anything to happen, but no, it didn't. Yawn. Please, why was the treatment free? What happens if you don't kill your negativity muppet thing? It eats you. Ok. Obvious. Like the plot. Tiny plot hole. The thingy that is the characters negative stuff has no legs. The entire threat is negated by walking away briskly. Non sensical up-chuck worth walking away from. Honestly it doesn't get better at the end.

"The Cleanse" is a simple, effective, and far-out movie about a therapeutic retreat that is not what it seems. The practical effects are nicely done, and the actors are doing a fine job. The subtle and well-composed music deserves special praise. If you don't get the metaphor, the movie may be even more important for you to watch again. It's not really a comedy, though it's quirky. Don't expect a gory horror romp. When you get it, the ending is really satisfying and leaves no questions open.

It's really a simple story, with a peculiar metaphor for people's problems. It's only fault, I guess, is to fall too simple in the end, it really feels like this was one more of the director's idea for a short film (apparently he has quite a few in his filmography) that he didn't know how to develop into something more complex for a full length movie. I'ts still well executed, with good cinematography and acting, and old school SFX, I quite enjoyed it, very straight forward and easy to understand, not at all confusing as I've read in some reviews... It's also quite short, which makes it easier to get through. Definitely worth a watch with no high expectations.

Does great on having a well-thought allegory for its monster, rather than it be political, random, or just an animal. Very subtle moments throughout which are rather difficult to catch on a first view. The ending really caught me off guard emotionally, as did the whole movie. While it is a horror movie, it's more of a Dramedy-Creature-Feature. A genre I did know was possible. Special effects are also incredible, all practical (Thank God!) Perhaps because this movie has a fairly simple premise, it can focus on more complex characters and themes. If you don't like movies that make you think, this probably isn't the one for you unfortunately. Currently Metacritic reviews have nice things to say, but have given it a low score, which seems kind of counter-intuitive. Also it currently has an 84 on rotten tomatoes, which despite their reputation, I think is accurate if not only for this film. I definitely want to see more from the director. I highly recommend this one for people who like ponderous themes, monsters, off-beat humor, and a bit of satire.

The story is quite bizarre, but it captivates me from start to finish. It has suspense and you just can't guess what will happen next.

Traditionally, a fable is a story created to illuminate some type of moral exhortation. In this case, the obvious moral of the story is: If you refuse to kill your own demons, they will eventually eat you alive. I found the metaphor of a cleanse to be an interesting one. Doing a, so-called, cleanse has become somewhat of a pop culture thing. It promises that if you drink some kind of nasty concoction & feel like crap for a few days, you will emerge brighter, lighter & more radiant than ever! All of the bad stuff (toxins; etc.) will be, quite literally, flushed from your body into the eternal abyss of your sewage system! So, what if one could purge their inner demons just as easily? But there's a bit of a catch, you can't just flush these down the toilet & keep on movin'. Unlike what comes out of you in a traditional cleanse, these little demons aren't so easily discarded. They have big, pleading eyes, they have mannerisms that mimic your own; they'll even nosh on your favorite junk food with you... for a while... Although I do feel, as many other reviewers have stated, the movie ended very abruptly - the primary conflict is barely resolved & then, BOOM, it's over - I still found the idea to be creative & somewhat compelling. My advice? Don't pay just to see this movie, you will probably feel as though you've been robbed at the end. However, it's totally Netflix & chill worthy, so put on your comfy clothes, grab your popcorn & take it for what it's worth, it does make a very valid point.

Well this is an unusual movie. I guess that the point is that all monsters are of our own making. As Stephen King once said, we make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones. It's hard to watch Johnny Galecki (is he ever going to shorten it to the more mature-sounding John?) without thinking of Leonard on "The Big Bang Theory" or Anjelica Huston without think of Morticia Addams.

I got the very odd symbolism but then the movie just Ends.... so " what?! " is what you'll say. However it was interesting enough to keep me watching. So I can only thing the moral of this is.... don't throw-up in the sink.