dir./writ. by Corey Finley
Feature film debuts are a hard business. Acclimatizing to hour-plus filmmaking can be a hard process for many filmmakers, and while some directors like Jordan Peele hit the ground running, others take a bit longer to find their footing. Corey Finley, not unlike Peele, has prior experience in another medium, in this case theatre, and this goes some distance to explaining the unpredictability and novelty of Thoroughbreds, his first work as a filmmaker. The film is a showy exercise, heavy on concept and light on thematic heft, but Finley's writing talent shines through in the film's tightly-wound thrills and razor-sharp dark humour.
What makes Finley's debut so astonishing, though, is that, despite never making a film before, he has matched his exciting narrative with a strong formal style. So many first-time filmmakers can only dream of making something this confident and distinct, and yet Finley seems as comfortable with the form as if he had been making movies for years, merging his great script with an off-kilter, unnerving aesthetic which colours even the most mundane of events. So sharp is his formal control that it elaborates and elevates the already exhilarating content of his script, and if this film is any indication, Finley should find cinema a good fit for his talents.
Amanda (Olivia Cooke) doesn't experience human emotions. She just doesn't. This is fascinating to her childhood friend Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy), who she has recently reunited with, and who is struggling to adjust to life with her cruel stepfather, Mark (Paul Sparks). In contrast with Amanda, Lily is very emotional, but unfortunately struggles with empathy, and the two have a toxic influence on each other which eventually leads to murder.
Despite the eccentric behaviour of its leads, Thoroughbreds actively avoids diagnosing them. When the subject of mental health comes up, it's only ever to imply these girls have been misdiagnosed, and that their families have taken overbearing approaches to addressing their perceived psychological states. In fact, despite some light jabs in the direction of capitalistic excess and isolated privilege, the girls' behaviour is never sufficiently explained. This leaves the proceedings feeling slightly hollow, but at the same time, the mystery enhances the suspense and makes the story all the more unpredictable. Even when it concludes on an incredibly tidy note, the story remains satisfying, as its offbeat characters are well-suited to where they end up.
In fairness, the film's big surprises are mostly left for a small handful of major twists, but those are some pretty solid turns, and the film's tight pacing grants each burst of excitement the lingering dread of a horror film. Even the opening scene, where Amanda is merely exploring Lily's house, is accompanied with a slow, thundering drumbeat and lingering wide shots. The film's tension is frequently alleviated by bursts of dark humour, and Finley's script is indeed very funny on top of its dark thrills, but neither of these detract from the other, and even at its most hilarious the film is built on a tone of seeping anxiety. At other points, the film uses the geography of Lily's house to generate further tension, and the setting is rendered in exquisitely cinematic detail which the talky script arguably lacks. Finley doesn't showboat, however, and his restraint creates something which, if not as purposefully stilted as a Yorgos Lanthimos film, is at least somewhere in the same ballpark.
Part of this comes from the unnerving personas of the stars. On some level, Thoroughbreds is about performance: not only from Amanda, who has spent her whole life simulating emotion, but also from Lily, who is intrigued by and perhaps even envious of Amanda's acting skill. This is enhanced by two excellent performances, with Cooke keeping Amanda aloof and inscrutable yet still visibly introspective, whereas Taylor-Joy finds a similar effect by snapping between Lily's homicidal convictions and her much more overt yet often contradictory emotions. Both effectively imply layers beyond the script, and while they both remain mysterious from start to finish, this enhances the peculiarly mesmerising tone.
More grounded is the drug hustler Tim, played by the late Anton Yelchin in his final role, and although he's an unapologetic criminal, his entirely unwilling role in Amanda and Lily's murder plot renders him surprisingly sympathetic, and he provides a lower-class counterpart to Lily's privilege. Tim is vulnerable and open in a way that Amanda and even Lily aren't, and both appear positively icy in comparison. Here, Finley most clearly tugs at a thematic thread about the perils of acting without empathy, and while this doesn't necessarily resonate through every corner of the film, it's given barbs by the contrast between Lily and Tim's respective socioeconomic statuses.
Even as an empty exercise in style, however, Thoroughbreds is profoundly entertaining, stylishly and cleverly elaborating on its inventive premise in consistently surprising way. Despite coming from a playwright, the film feels perfect for the big screen, boasting a surefooted confidence and possessing a thrillingly audiovisual authorial voice. It's also just such a tight thrill ride, filled with dread and excitement in equal measures, and its various unexpected narrative developments combine with a tightly controlled tone to make for a unique and truly enthralling experience.
8/10
+ Script is unpredictable and hilarious.
+ Tightly-wound, mesmerising tone.
+ Impressively stylish direction.
+ Excellent performances from all involved.
- Doesn't always coalesce thematically.
- Ends a little too neatly.
Thank you to my Patreon supporters:
Todd Throndson
VioletWisp
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Support me on Patreon!
In fairness, the film's big surprises are mostly left for a small handful of major twists, but those are some pretty solid turns, and the film's tight pacing grants each burst of excitement the lingering dread of a horror film. Even the opening scene, where Amanda is merely exploring Lily's house, is accompanied with a slow, thundering drumbeat and lingering wide shots. The film's tension is frequently alleviated by bursts of dark humour, and Finley's script is indeed very funny on top of its dark thrills, but neither of these detract from the other, and even at its most hilarious the film is built on a tone of seeping anxiety. At other points, the film uses the geography of Lily's house to generate further tension, and the setting is rendered in exquisitely cinematic detail which the talky script arguably lacks. Finley doesn't showboat, however, and his restraint creates something which, if not as purposefully stilted as a Yorgos Lanthimos film, is at least somewhere in the same ballpark.
Part of this comes from the unnerving personas of the stars. On some level, Thoroughbreds is about performance: not only from Amanda, who has spent her whole life simulating emotion, but also from Lily, who is intrigued by and perhaps even envious of Amanda's acting skill. This is enhanced by two excellent performances, with Cooke keeping Amanda aloof and inscrutable yet still visibly introspective, whereas Taylor-Joy finds a similar effect by snapping between Lily's homicidal convictions and her much more overt yet often contradictory emotions. Both effectively imply layers beyond the script, and while they both remain mysterious from start to finish, this enhances the peculiarly mesmerising tone.
More grounded is the drug hustler Tim, played by the late Anton Yelchin in his final role, and although he's an unapologetic criminal, his entirely unwilling role in Amanda and Lily's murder plot renders him surprisingly sympathetic, and he provides a lower-class counterpart to Lily's privilege. Tim is vulnerable and open in a way that Amanda and even Lily aren't, and both appear positively icy in comparison. Here, Finley most clearly tugs at a thematic thread about the perils of acting without empathy, and while this doesn't necessarily resonate through every corner of the film, it's given barbs by the contrast between Lily and Tim's respective socioeconomic statuses.
Even as an empty exercise in style, however, Thoroughbreds is profoundly entertaining, stylishly and cleverly elaborating on its inventive premise in consistently surprising way. Despite coming from a playwright, the film feels perfect for the big screen, boasting a surefooted confidence and possessing a thrillingly audiovisual authorial voice. It's also just such a tight thrill ride, filled with dread and excitement in equal measures, and its various unexpected narrative developments combine with a tightly controlled tone to make for a unique and truly enthralling experience.
8/10
+ Script is unpredictable and hilarious.
+ Tightly-wound, mesmerising tone.
+ Impressively stylish direction.
+ Excellent performances from all involved.
- Doesn't always coalesce thematically.
- Ends a little too neatly.
Thank you to my Patreon supporters:
Todd Throndson
VioletWisp
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Support me on Patreon!
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