I'm feeling a bit under the weather right now with a really annoying cold. Thankfully I have the day off and just need to get through one more work day before the weekend where I'll hopefully have this kicked. I woke up very early today due to the aforementioned cold and figured I'd get a movie in so I watched something Larry brought to my attention and checked out...
Significant Other (2022)
The 354th review
This movie will be a bit hard to review. I need to keep it generic because to really talk about this movie in a way that makes sense I'll need to give some things away which I don't like doing. Instead, I'm going to try and keep it basic when it comes to the plot and see where it goes from there. I'm being purposely coy with my wording because the reveals are the best parts of the movie.
The film starts with what looks like an asteroid crashing to Earth, followed by a deer getting yanked away by a tentacle. From there we follow a young couple preparing for a trip backpacking through an Oregon trail, not the cool one we used to play in Mrs. Polzin's computer class. Harry proposes to his girlfriend Ruth and she responds by having a panic attack and then turning him down. Eventually the awkwardness passes and they come to an understanding. Shortly after that things take a bit of a turn for the worst.
OK, that's as far as I want to go with the play by play because anything else goes into spoiler territory. I feel this movie's biggest strengths are the unexpected turns it takes. You watch and it clearly sets you up to think certain things about certain characters but then everything changes in an instant and it's fun to watch play out. The initial twist is cool but then it manages to throw another curve ball at you that I really liked. In a movie with an alien, it really gets into what makes humanity so unique and how just being a human is an experience of pain, pleasure, anxiety, love and so much more.
Plus, there's a scene where one of the characters is trying to get away and they keep eyeing a knife. You think to yourself, Why are they paying so much attention to the knife? The baddie regenerates. But when you see it happen you're like, OK, movie! I see what you did there! It makes for a really cool moment that shows the character's intelligence.
The movie does a lot of cool stuff and plays with your expectations in a genre that you've seen many times before. The two leads are good and they feel like a real couple. You watch them wander through some beautiful Pacific Northwest scenery and you find yourself rooting for them. Then something happens and the dynamic completely changes multiple times and it's really well done.
It's not really scary but it has cool moments and keeps you guessing until the end. There's also a scene that seems kind of out of place but I really liked it. Problem is, if I explain what it is it will ruin the impact of that scene. I'll try and explain it as best I can without giving it away. Everyone likes to talk about the power of love, love conquers all and love trumps hate, but how do you think love would work on a being unfamiliar with the concept?
I liked it, it's a good time. It's not so much scary but it keeps a great atmosphere and keeps you wanting to know what happens next. I'd say it's definitely worth a watch.
