Right from the first act there's something creepy about the antagonistic mother. She might just appear overprotective, but then it escalates into "Can I see the manager?" obnoxious mom stereotype to mentally overdosed on Bane's serum and finally channeling Kathy Bates. The movie looks timid in the beginning, although it soon spirals deeper into darker territory.
I did not know anything about this movie and it looked rather low budget, but at least it had Michael Shannon. This was a pleasant surprise of psychological thriller that managed to tug at my empathy nerve. Story focuses on a weak boy and his new neighbor. Surprisingly, his mother forbids this friendship as she might just harbor terrible secrets.
The movie works on presenting the confining situation of the boy and his reliance on the strange parents is bizarrely intense. Credit on both Natasha Calis and Charlie Tahan as the children, they present the youthful friendship very well. The platonic bond and innocent nature are entirely convincing. It's heavily sympathy inducing because almost every scene is relatable. I found myself inevitably rooting for them.
Michael Shannon as the father has enigmatic charisma, even though his role isn't a strong one. He displays enough tenderness and depravity just to make audience wonders of his intention. Meanwhile, Samantha Morton is on a roll by being crazy bad. She's aggressive, demeaning and even a bit detached from reality. It's like looking at furious over-privileged customer yelling at cashier, but in next level of gruesomeness.
Some of the scenes do tend to slow the pace down slightly and the shouting might be too often or crude. However, the fact that it doesn't have big budget makes it even more impressive by utilizing the characters and actors who perform them admirably. The Harvest's unassuming visual and presentation produce an emotionally effective thriller.
I did not know anything about this movie and it looked rather low budget, but at least it had Michael Shannon. This was a pleasant surprise of psychological thriller that managed to tug at my empathy nerve. Story focuses on a weak boy and his new neighbor. Surprisingly, his mother forbids this friendship as she might just harbor terrible secrets.
The movie works on presenting the confining situation of the boy and his reliance on the strange parents is bizarrely intense. Credit on both Natasha Calis and Charlie Tahan as the children, they present the youthful friendship very well. The platonic bond and innocent nature are entirely convincing. It's heavily sympathy inducing because almost every scene is relatable. I found myself inevitably rooting for them.
Michael Shannon as the father has enigmatic charisma, even though his role isn't a strong one. He displays enough tenderness and depravity just to make audience wonders of his intention. Meanwhile, Samantha Morton is on a roll by being crazy bad. She's aggressive, demeaning and even a bit detached from reality. It's like looking at furious over-privileged customer yelling at cashier, but in next level of gruesomeness.
Some of the scenes do tend to slow the pace down slightly and the shouting might be too often or crude. However, the fact that it doesn't have big budget makes it even more impressive by utilizing the characters and actors who perform them admirably. The Harvest's unassuming visual and presentation produce an emotionally effective thriller.