It is widely acknowledged that the quality of Netflix’s original programming can be inconsistent. One significant success was achieved with the release of It’s What’s Inside in early October, despite minimal promotional efforts. In my opinion, it could have been a significant theatrical release. Therefore, given the involvement of producer Sam Raimi in its latest release, Don’t Move, I entered the viewing experience with high expectations.
Raimi is a renowned director celebrated for his work on the original Evil Dead trilogy and the Spider-Man films, which further elevated my anticipation for this project. It stars Finn Wittrock, known to horror fans as Dandy Mott from American Horror Story: Freak Show.
Do all the right ingredients in place live up to the hype?
Directed by Adam Schindler and Brian Netto and written by TJ Cimfel and David White, Iris, played by Kelsey Asbille (best known from Yellowstone), is mourning her son’s accidental death. While visiting his memorial grave near the edge of a cliff, it appears that she is contemplating suicide. Richard, played by Finn Wittrock, encounters her just as she seems poised to jump.
Aware of her intentions, he shares his own story of loss, having lost his partner. Eventually, Iris steps back from the ledge and walks with Richard back to their cars, marking the moment the movie develops its plot.
What sets this movie apart from other cat-and-mouse thrillers I’ve seen is the use of a paralytic drug by the abductor, which prevents any movement from the victim’s body. Despite her primarily silent role, Iris is essentially paralyzed for most of the film, so Asbille relies heavily on eye movements, moans, and other gestures to build tension.
She delivers an outstanding performance despite her limited movement, resembling a state of daytime sleep paralysis. I found myself trying to figure out what I would do in such a situation, and that did build some anxiety, which is precisely what you want from a thriller film.
But an excellent opportunity was missed here.
There was one flashback featuring her and her son that coincided with her movements, and it tore at my heartstrings. If this element had been interwoven throughout the movie, I would have had a stronger emotional connection to her and her situation. Additionally, it didn’t make sense to me that she initially lost her will to live, yet later was fighting for her life.
I might have understood her motivations better if more of the son’s story had been integrated with her present-day narrative.
Finn Wittrock’s portrayal of Richard was also a good performance. His charm effectively gained the trust of several characters in the film, making it very believable. On the other hand, Richard’s character makes so many mistakes as a criminal that I became frustrated halfway through this movie. How can someone who claims to be a seasoned killer be so sloppy? As great as Wittrock’s looks and mannerisms play a significant part in this role, the script did not necessarily do him any favors.
It left me with more questions than answers about this man and his motives.
If you cannot tell by now, I wasn’t particularly impressed with this movie. However, I want to commend it for the brutality of some of the violence; it is pretty creative for a film released straight to streaming. Most of the CGI was decent, as well. That said, one scene involving fire made me laugh out loud because it looked unrealistic.
I understand that budget constraints can limit a movie’s ability to incorporate specific special effects, but this particular scene was downright campy. And while I enjoy campy elements in films, it felt entirely out of place in this movie.
I had high expectations for this Netflix original. Marketing the film as a production by Sam Raimi may have set expectations too high for his fans, particularly those who enjoy horror. While I was engaged during the first act, the story lost momentum afterward. I wish there had been more twists to maintain my interest, but unfortunately, there weren’t. I recommend this to someone new to thrillers or looking to explore the genre for the first time.
My rating is two and a half out of five.
Don’t rush to see this one, but if you need an easy, relatively mindless weekday movie, here it is.