In the Tall Grass (film)
2019
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Oct 18, 2019 · Advertisement. Eli ( Charlie Shotwell) is a very sick 11-year-old. He’s forced to wear an astronaut’s suit most of the time because his immune system is so weak that ordinary air could kill him. In a final effort to cure their son, Eli’s parents ( Kelly Reilly and Max Martini) take the boy to a creepy old house that has been turned into a ...
- Horror subgenres collide in the latest Netflix & Chills movie.
- Netflix Spotlight: October 2019
- Verdict
By Kristy Puchko
Updated: Oct 23, 2019 9:33 pm
Posted: Oct 18, 2019 9:28 pm
This is a mostly spoiler-free review for Eli, which is now streaming on Netflix.
There's a secret creeping at the center of Eli, the newest addition to the Netflix and Chills slate. And I don't mean the mystery of its plot, revolving around a boy on a quest to uncover the terrible truth of his agonizing afflictions. Slipping from one subgenre into the next, the big reveal of this frightening film's finale is what kind of horror movie it seeks to be. This is an intriguing journey, but your mileage may vary.
Directed by Sinister 2 helmer Ciarán Foy, Eli centers on the eponymous boy who is forced to live in a plastic bubble. Young Eli (Charlie Shotwell) has been diagnosed with an aggressive autoimmune disorder that essentially makes him allergic to the world. In his dreams, he frolics in fields, running to embrace his devoted parents. But in reality, the slightest brush with these outside elements causes his skin to break out into a ferocious red rash, and his windpipe to shrink, causing desperate gasps for air. This is why his parents (Max Martini and Kelly Reilly) are spending the last of their savings to whisk him away to a specialist who they believe can save him.
The first act of the film is fiercely foreboding. The second act is electric with scares, which caused this critic to curl up and cry out and love every second of it. But things escalate quickly, barreling through the body horror, ghost kids, and mind-bending bits to Eli's fourth and final subgenre in act three. To save you from spoilers, I won't hint any further. But like the film, I've left some clues along the way.
To the cast's credit, they handle this final turn with aplomb, bending performances that began as grounded to something more theatrical and fiery. Shotwell ably shoulders the central role, shrieking in pain and terror one moment, then finding his footing as Eli arrives at his fateful finale. Taylor's enigmatic performance comes into focus, while Martini and Reilly turn up the intensity. Yet the standout is Sink, who relishes every bit of this movie's malevolent route. Her smirking charisma makes her an instantly fascinating figure, and thereby the perfect guide to hold Eli's hand -- and ours -- through this twisted journey.
A promising premise sets a solid stage for terror. Perfectly repulsive spectacle and superbly paced jump-scares make for a sensationally satisfying build-up, which is enhanced by the percolating possibility of an unreliable protagonist perspective. But what you'll make of Eli all comes down to its final gambit. It rolls the dice on one last subgenr...
Watch Eli with a subscription on Netflix. Intermittently effective if not wholly successful, Eli offers horror fans a handful of jump scares in search of a truly terrifying story. A boy becomes ...
- (240)
- Ciarán Foy
- R
- Charlie Shotwell
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Eli was produced by Paramount Pictures, Paramount Players, MTV Films, Intrepid Pictures and Bellevue Productions and was released on October 18, 2019, by Netflix. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for its performances, plot twist and atmosphere, and criticism for its screenplay, pacing, tone and reliance on jump scares.
- Trevor Macy, John Zaozirny
- Bear McCreary
- October 18, 2019 (United States)
Oct 23, 2019 · What the F*ck You Just Watched: ‘Eli’ on Netflix. Look for the clues, ppl! By Emily Tannenbaum Published: Oct 23, 2019 7:59 PM EDT. ... So, the movie starts with this kid Eli (Charlie Shotwell ...
Oct 18, 2019 · Eli (Charlie Shotwell) lives in a mylar bubble and wears sterilized, vacuum-packed clothes because he's allergic to the world. His dreams of walking in the grass without a hazmat suit turn into ...
- Andrew Whalen
Oct 18, 2019 · When a movie uses a plot device (e.g., medication) to render the reality of the protagonist’s — and therefore the audience’s — point of view in question, it’s a cheap cheap cheater ...
