An excerpt from my script review for Those Who Wish Me Dead which will be available 05/17/21:
3.) Quality of Characters
Hannah.
She had this self destructive streak that seems to go beyond her tragic incident a year before the story takes place, but you know what? I didn’t care.
That’s a big problem, because your hero needs to be relatable.
This felt like the generic character Jolie has come to play, where she’s fit, tough, and just caring enough about the person she’s helping that the audience won’t hate her.
That’s it.
In regards to character development all the script treats us to is the occasional cheap nightmare where she wakes up in a cold sweat.
(Hannah being played by Angelina Jolie that will probably include her wearing something skimpy and without a bra.)
She broods by a creek, but we’re never treated to some true emotional reckoning that would have fit perfectly in the remote location of her being marooned at the fire watch tower.
Based on the shitty way she was treated and isolated, was hoping for more of a “come to Jesus” style revelation she’d force upon herself.
Who know who I did like?
Jack and Patrick…but they’re the villains.
They were ruthless, methodical, and although I couldn’t tell them apart really, the duo made for menacing baddies.
What helped here is that they calculate what needs to be done, and cold blooded about doing it, and remain constant throughout the story.
That’s important, because a bad guy who doesn’t take shit personal is something to worry about.
(Until of course Jack does, but the poor guy’s face was burnt, so Patrick takes the lead.)
Lastly, and just when they were growing on me, I felt the choice to make Ethan and Allison just give up at the end an odd one.
Did they have a chance to escape? I guess not, but it felt very defeating to have this strong pregnant woman and her caring husband just throw in the towel.
This is a movie, and people pay to see characters they can aspire to be.
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