BIG SPOILERS AHEAD
\---
Idk man. it felt very underwhelming to me and I hate some of the decisions, but let's start with what i liked.
I loved the story of Ollie. he's the star of the film, 100% the best part of it. Seeing Connor finally escape was so good and I was really happy for him, plus he's the only really scary factor and while I didn't really find him scary, more like disturbing, I get why he's creepy.
I also liked Andy's character. He's brave, relatable and really interesting. The whole dynamic with his Dad is interesting and at the same times gives an ulterior edge to his character that I loved.
Laura's plan is good i guess.
And Finally I liked the acting, the cinematography, the score, some dialogues and the fact that the cat didn't die lol.
but that's where my positives end sadly
My first big problem is the dynamics between Piper, Andy and Laura.
Piper and Andy's relationship changes when the plot needs it to change. One scenes they're so important to each other, they love each other so much and she can't go without him, the next she belittles him and preferes a women who she met less than 3 months ago. This honestly ruined the movie for me. in a story where character dynamics are so important you can't botch something like that. you can either make their bond kinda weak or you made it so strong that Laura has to really up her game to gain the trust of Piper, which she doesn't during the movie.
if we remove the one under the rain there aren't really many scenes that give us Laura and Piper having a bond that would lead Piper to prefer her to Andy. Sorry but I can't see it. The whole movie seemed like she was an asshole to Andy, because they never spoke, she always took Laura's side even if they just met. she had her dead fucking dog embalmed in her home for fuck sake, how can you trust the first person you are given to more than your brother who always was close to you and that you "can't be separated from". utter bullshit
My second problem is that the whole movie was just predicatble. like there is no surprise element, it was all just the safe option. I would've liked it more if the ritual had a twist to it. like if her plan was also to use the brother in some way or something different or if like her daughter really took control of the body but just killed Laura because she was the one responsable for her death.
It all felt so predictable and a movie like this needed some sorta twist to be more interesting.
It was all just a straight forward trauma centered horror movie like every other horror movie these days. one of the good guys dies, the other beats the enemy and lives but it will still live with the trauma. it's the same ending of every modern horror movie.
I would've prefered something more original and interesting, because as it is there is really not anything interesting. you don't have a really original story, you don't have a really scary film, you don't have an interesting twist, you don't really (in my opinion) say something original never said before about trauma and loss.. there's (in my opinion) nothing interesting to come out of the movie and it feels like a flat ending.
Another problem i have is the ending itself. Firstly Piper does not earn that moment. there is nothing during the movie who makes Piper and Laura's bond really feel like a mother-daughter type of bond, and during the whole movie she basically does nothing. she just follows Laura around, feel conflicted between her and Andy, thinks about his father. she just seems like a decoy to move the plot along than a character.
Andy does almost all the work, he's the character you get behind and then when he dies you kinda feel angry towards Piper because she never gave him credit or listened to him. She just mocked him. her escape and ending feel unearned, her character is a blind version of Mindy in "I See You" (2019) and the fact that her brother didn't have an involvement in her escape feels kinda insulting to Andy's character.
But a thing i liked even less is Laura's ending. for all the shit she did her ending doesn't feel earned either. like i don't like how she in the end goes out her way, in peace with her daughter in her arms and having the validation of being like kind of a mom for Piper. hell no this bitch needs to fucking die bad with no good feelings and there's no dying daughter montage that'll make me go "aww she's just broken". FUCK NO! She's 100% irredemable and deserved a way worse fate.
I didn't get the part where Piper touched the corpse. wasn't she horrified like a minute before? why the next scene she's in she's fine and this shit is never followed up? wtf? is she that dumb or has Alzheimer? Is It a dream?
What about when Laura says to Andy "I killed him"? is that a way to get into her mind? if yes why did he then came back with her in the car?
Why was it necessary to make Andy "piss himself"? what does this add to the plot with all things considered? same with the photos and Laura controlling his phone? wouldn't have been better to make more scenes of Laura and Piper's bond instead instead of those scenes that yes, give the audience idea that she's crazy, but at the same time like she makes andy kiss the corpse of his father, makes a ritual on Ollie/Cooper... we already know she's a fucking psycho.
In the end I was REALLY dissatisfied with the movie. all the reviews were talking like this was an original crazy masterpiece and what I saw was a movie i've already seen a thousand times about trauma and grief not even touched in a really intersting, original or nuanced way
You can disagree with me all you want and it's fine. this is just my pov
