The Movie, directed by Michael Mandell, is extremely messed up. It follows Janet (Bonnie Root), who plays a fading movie star, and Walter (Jarrod Pistilli), the creepy director who horribly tries to bring her back into the spotlight.

At first, I was a little thrown off by the title. Whenever I see the word “movie” in a title, it’s either a massive joke or a parody. This was neither. The Movie is a pretty well-mapped-out film that keeps the audience in shock the entire time. Sometimes you think about where the writers came up with this stuff, but it is all tied together very effectively.

The Movie had a very colorful and drugged feel to it. Lots of colors and lots of movement happening throughout the film. The head camera was an excellent little touch important for the plot, yet I think they could have gone further with that part of the cinematography. All of the behind-the-scenes aspects were very good, but when it came down to it, the actors were the ones that had control over the scenes.

Both Jarrod Pistilli and Bonnie Rott were amazing. They have great on-screen chemistry, even if the conspired events were utterly messed up. The creepiest of Jarrod’s character came through as the story went on, especially as his acting well hid his motives, and yet looking back on everything, it made complete sense. On the other hand, Bonnie completely stole the show for me. She was terrific in the film playing all of her motives very well and really creating a realistic character. The scenes between these two characters floored me, and I hope I get to see more of their work in the future.

If I had any issues, it was with the writing. Some of the lines were a little dry and didn’t give the actors much to work on. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it was a noticeable one that made me wish the dialogue would match the rest of it.

Overall, this was great. It was short, but has a lot to unpack. It is fast-paced yet really twists the knife in you in every single scene. Michael Mandell has created a great story that I think everyone should watch. It has a great blend of characters, drama, action, terror, and acting. The Movie is the movie to see and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

7 out of 10