As a seasoned gamer and film enthusiast with over two decades of experience under my belt, I must say that I have seen it all – from the most intricate plot twists to the most predictable clichés. The latest Netflix offering, “Don’t Move,” caught my eye primarily because of its unique countdown mechanism, reminiscent of the nail-biting tension found in some of my favorite video games.
CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD! The ensuing article reveals certain plot points from the recently released 2024 film titled “Don’t Move“. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this movie yet, think twice before proceeding with reading further.
One aspect of movies that really irritates me is when a film presents an essential timer, like a bomb countdown, but doesn’t show it progressing in real time on screen. When I noticed this narrative technique highlighted in the promotions for Don’t Move – a fresh Netflix production about a woman who’s been drugged by a serial killer and can’t move – I was optimistic that they would accurately portray the duration of their key countdown within the movie’s overall runtime.
Is it true that the latest horror film produced by Sam Raimi employs an often-repeated and underappreciated technique in a surprisingly genuine way? Here’s what I discovered.
Does Don’t Move’s Countdown Gimmick Hold Up?
In “Don’t Move”, Kelsey Asbille’s character, Iris (from Yellowstone), finds herself in a desperate struggle against the clock when she discovers that her assailant, “Richard” (played by Finn Wittrock, known for his chilling roles as a creep from American Horror Story), has administered a drug that will render her body lifeless in 20 minutes. During a brief pause, she sets the timer on her smartwatch (since it can’t make calls in the forest depths) for the specified duration and persistently flees, seeking a secure hiding place.
At that instant, I chose to halt the film, backward-rewind a bit, and arrange my phone’s timer for 20 minutes, ensuring it was perfectly in sync with Iris’. When she was fully immobilized and her smartwatch alarm screeched loudly, I glanced at my phone. There were still over 11 minutes left on the timer.
Although the trailer for “Don’t Move” emphasizes a 20-minute countdown to Iris’ paralysis, this plot point turns out to be misleading and doesn’t actually last as long as promised. Fortunately, there is one element of the movie that does stick to its time-related theme truthfully.
The Drug Does Last As Long As Don’t Move Promises
Iris discovers from “Richard” that the duration of the paralyzing substance is approximately one hour. As I recorded my observations during the timer test, I observed that when the full impact of the drug was felt by her, there were roughly 60 minutes remaining on the movie.
Only at the closing scenes of the movie does Iris regain full control over her movements again. This implies that the remainder of the movie, starting from this point, is portrayed in actual real-time, even though it may slightly exaggerate the duration of her smartwatch timer.
Did The Countdown Affect My Enjoyment Of Don’t Move?
To clarify, I don’t usually let pet peeves determine whether I enjoy a movie or not. So, even though the false countdown trick was somewhat bothersome, it didn’t ruin my appreciation for Saturday Night, which surprisingly ran longer than advertised – 90 minutes but actually lasted 109 minutes. This shows that, despite the minor annoyance, I still loved it as much as I did.
Indeed, I firmly believe that the horror film “Don’t Move,” penned by T.J. Cimfel and David White, directed by Brian Netto and Adam Schindler, is amongst the most outstanding horror productions of this year. The film truly excels in its pacing, a remarkable achievement given that our main character remains immobile and speechless for a significant portion of it. As for the performances, I must commend both Asbille and Wittrock – their acting was superb, effectively driving the narrative forward and maintaining an unnerving tension even during the film’s quieter scenes.
If you have not yet seen this intense thriller and can get past fake countdown gimmicks, I would recommend logging into your Netflix subscription to stream Don’t Move on Netflix when you get the chance.
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2024-11-04 02:07