Mank managed to capture the authenticity of Old Hollywood filmmaking in a fairly compelling way. The whip-quick dialogue, period-specific sound design, and classic visual style work together, rather impressively, to recreate the look, sound, and feel of a bygone era.
But ultimately, it is hard to connect with the characters, especially if you are not familiar with the context. Any investment I had in the story was felt purely on a more or less superficial level. Still, it was enjoyable enough to keep me entertained for its duration.

This movie has stayed with me since my first watch. Malick's beautifully shot, utterly affecting use of naturalism never feels superfluous, only nourishing to the spirit of the film.

The timeless and enduring love at the centre of this story, the defiance/refusal to be complicit framed as a revolutionary act, one that takes the utmost empathy and fortitude of spirit...A Hidden Life is timeless, and so brutally timely in a way that other films have tried and failed to be.

i catapulted my way through time four years into the future and watched this film and lemme just tell you, the force of my Nut shattered the space time continuum and idk where from or when or how i'm tweeting this.