User Reviews

Eli is a pretty decent movie for those who are interested in viewing a long practiced art form from a different perspective. Without providing spoilers, it has the ingredients viewers would require for a watchable movie experience.

The main character considers his life to be horrible, due to being unable to enjoy life like everyone else. He finds himself living his existence like bacteria in a Petri dish. For those who remember, he is much like bubble boy, without the comedic adventure.

However, after arriving at a "Clean House", where a certain doctor is supposed to be able to cure him of his physiological affliction, Eli soon finds himself experiencing a more supernatural level of drama.

The story continues with Eli discovering more than he was expecting of the Doctor by his interaction with a visitor outside the house. In addition, the therapy he receives appears to be doing little to alleviate his condition. And finally, young Eli learns that his parents were also hiding some things from him.

The movie was not fast paced, but it wasn't too slow either. I actually enjoyed the twist because it was something I hadn't expected from the information we were provided.

Guys, Chill. It's a film; don't take it too seriously. We have already seen so many films with satanic rituals, Devil Worshipping before but this time it got interesting. It innovatively presented us the same dish but in a different manner! It's different from the rest but I was totally into it and kinda liked the climax too. I know many of you might disagree with me here. But I liked how it turned around the whole plotline towards the end. Shockingly Indeed.

From the very beginning I was fondling through various interpretations about the storyline. For your information as a movie buff I try to predict certain outcomes whenever I watch a movie; especially with these horror films where I certainly do that very often. As you may all know horror genre nowadays are filled with craps and more of the same. Most of the times they tend to take the same route of scaring us. Today most of the horror movies became so predictable that if you are into this genre like as much as I am; you would surely know what's coming before it even starts. That's how bad the scenario of horror movies come to.

Fortunately for this film, can't say the same. I was searching over different possibilities and outcome from the storyline but believe me I couldn't really tell what was going to happen in the next act. When the climax came over I was literally shocked. I never thought it would come to that sort of conclusion. But I honestly liked it. Not because of how it baffled me throughout but for the Clever execution it had. I really liked Eli's character, and was really feeling empathetic towards him. So for me It was a satisfying end nonetheless.

Now let's talk about the other aspects as well. The cinematography is fine, the soundscore is truly impressive. The positional audio experience was something I really cherish. Specially when in Horror where it matters a lot. Performances are quiet good as well. The Storyline is not that intriguing nor compact enough until the 3rd act. I expected more from the individual Characters as well. Also Some scenes felt a bit overstretched. Perhaps the makers tried to bring the 'Artsy' feel over it.

Overall this is a very good movie. Although it Wasn't really scary. But the twists and turns surely made up for that. Fellow horror fans go for it. And for the others; You could definitely watch it as well.

Recommended!

I saw the trailer on Netflix about 2 weeks before it came out, and thought it seemed cool. A horror movie about a kid with some "strange illness" seeking unorthodox treatment, but the place is haunted and he gets terrorized by ghosts. At least that's what you're led to believe.

I didn't think it was slow, I felt the pace was appropriate. It doesn't take long before all the freaky stuff happens. There are some jumps that are obnoxiously loud. And then there's that weird girl outside who is oddly low-key obsessed with him.

The last like 10 minutes of the movie is when it hits the fan, and you find out what's actually going on. And it's not what you think, at all. Spoiler: he isn't sick, and at first it appears he is possessed and the final stage of his "treatment" appears to be an exorcism. When this happened I was genuinely surprised, and honestly they could've left it at that and it would've made a great movie, but then they took a step further; he isn't just possessed, he is literally a spawn of satan. Now it's just ridiculous. And then it turns out the girl is also a spawn of satan and they ride off into the night, the end.

It would've been a fantastic movie if they didn't take it that extra step. I thought they were going for a "demonic possession from the victim's perspective" kind of deal, but no. It's a shame because that would've made a much better movie.

Good acting from the kid and Sadie.

Like many other reviews said before me. The movie was ok until the third act. But then it goes haywire and ruins the whole movie. During the second act he gets haunted several times by ghosts and after watching the whole movie I can't see why. You can argue that they were there to help him escape, but he also needed to prove to his devilfriend on the outside that he was better than the others so that argument doesn't hold up.... After all just another Netflix horror/thriller movie.

I actually enjoyed this film. Liked the twist at the end. I didn't see that coming. Better than some so called horror films. Don't expect terror but it is entertaining.

I'm not one too catch a lot of inconsistencies, but I just couldn't keep from seeing them here. From like the first 10 minutes on.

A kid throws a beer bottle that busts on the back of the family car window as they drive off, and the wide shot showing them drive off the window is clean. The girl throwing rocks at his window at the treatment center to get his attention, pebbles by the sound of it, but each one puts a small crack in the window.

The boy gets drilled into the bone of his leg, while he is still conscious- then he is walking and even nearly running afterward. He gets the back of his head shaved and gets drilled into it, but a few scenes later and there's no shave spot in the back of his head.

When he talks to the girl through the heavy glass room, somehow they hear each other pretty loud and clear where it would really be muffled. And there were more and more problems.

The whole thing to me just felt thrown together and not well thought out. Like they carelessly ran through the first two acts to get to the final act, which was a crazy twist. Maybe the end gives a pass to most of the issues I just listed, but it feels more like sloppy and rushed film-making.

Not a great movie by any of the stretch. Maybe it isn't even trying to be. Is it worth watching? After what I saw, I don't think so. My vote would be to find a better one.

I watched this not knowing anything about it beforehand. It started a little slow, but got creepier as it progressed. It was becoming a decent supernatural/haunting film when it changed abruptly.

Actually, abruptly is an understatement. The twist completely changed the tone of the entire movie, even the genre.

At first I wasn't sure I liked the twist but by the end of the movie I was digging it.

Overall, there the film doesn't break much new ground, but it is a solid horror film with decent acting and nice cinematography.

I'm curious to hear what others thought of this. I thought it was a pretty decent movie.

Well that was a ridiculous ending. Way out of left field and ruined the movie.

The ghosts seemed pointless in the story obviously they were trying to help him but it was so aggressive (obvs just for scare factor) it was a very strange plot. Also if he was the spawn of saran why did ghosts even scare him n why did he not flame up when scared or running away? The ending ruined the entire film was just weird and irrelevant.

Included in the 2015 Blacklist for top unproduced screenplays (written by the guys who wrote 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe'), this Paramount production was purchased last year by Netflix. When a boy with some sort of auto-immune disorder, arrives at a treatment facility with his parents, he hopes to get cured and finally live a normal life.

Eli (Charlie Shotwell), at first hopeful, meets Dr. Horn (Lili Taylor) at her lush yet minimalistic mansion - fully equiped to house patients with conditions such as the young boy's. When getting the grand tour of the house, Eli notices shadows lurking in the corners. After his first of three treatments, where Dr. Horn and her loyal team of nurses take tissue samples, the teenager wakes up in his room haunted by seemingly malicious spirits, scaring him into his parents bedroom. When trying to explain this to the team of professional scientists, they quickly file this under hallucinations from the anaesthesia. But when things seem to get worse and worse with every day passing, and treatments getting more intense, Eli uncovers secrets that lie deep within the facility, that will turn his own and everyone else's lives upside down with apocalyptic consequences.

Ciarán Foy (Sinister 2) isn't new to the horror genre and directs this with much needed confidence. Some jump scares don't land, but I have to admit when some heavily mutilated children run towards you out of nowhere, you'll try and duck away. It also helps when your director of photography (Jeff Cutter - 10 Cloverfield Lane) knows how to put things in perspective and gives you angles others might not even think of. The score by Bear McCreary (Godzilla II: King of the Monsters) also gives you the much needed suspense as soon as the film starts.

Charlie Shotwell (Captain Fantastic), who plays our titular character, has to carry this entire film on his own, and he partially succeeds. His screaming and yelling gets quite tiring after a while, but he definitely lands the more serious and dramatic scenes. Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) is the other standout, playing Eli's mother with much needed intensity and depth to embody her character's struggles as a caring parent.

Unfortunately, the always strong Lily Taylor, who has starred in scary movies such as 'The Conjuring' and 'The Haunting' is particularly weak as Dr. Horn. Not only does her character play a big part in the reveal around Eli's disease, but it's pivotal to the entire storyline. Emotionless and boring, Taylor didn't seem to know what went on in this story. Max Martini (Fifty Shades Freed), also laughably overacts as Eli's father.

'Eli' is part 'The Boy in the Plastic Bubble', part 'The Others' and part 'Rosemary's Baby'. Nonetheless entertaining for 98 minutes, with a twist ending you'll never see coming and makes you wanting more.