Closure

Wow. Gillian Anderson on my living room TV again after all these years… (so I rented it, okay?!?!). I admit my X-Files fandom from back in the day, but I still think she’s an underrated actress even while acknowledging that her style limits her exposition. That’s her problem here, also. She plays a physically (and mentally) strong to fierce woman, wholly empowered, but with striking flaws in behavior that make you doubt the character’s credibility. The flaws just aren’t fitting, and the moments in which they’re divulged make the character seem superficially altered after the fact.

Anyway, the storyline wasn’t bad. Its initial realism made it seem foreboding, but simultaneously humanized the perceived threat. By the end of the movie, you’ve almost decided that you should hate the protagonists either as villainous figures or frustratingly weak, spineless heros. I believe much of that arises from the frustrating actions of the protagonists and their poorly scripted interactions.

The ending will leave you wanting, but I will give credit for two points. First, the film seems to explore sexual relationships and acts. We have intercourse between strangers, rape of a female, bonding of the protagonists despite impotence (most obviously depicting the underlying theme of control of self versus others), and the rape of a male. I suggest looking between the lines, as it will really help the experience. Second, we get flesh shots of Anderson. Ergo, I give it a 7 outta 10.