the way Antonio Campos made a movie that is literally not about anything yet is still pretty watchable

the scene where the cop reveals to Arvin that Lenora was pregnant is the perfect microcosm of this movie -- it takes way too long, even if it's just twenty seconds, to get to a point which might be important but is mostly anticlimactic.

I don't think there needs to be much discourse surrounding holland's performance, he doesn't get nearly enough to chew on. the scenes where he can really let the chops flow, he's really strong. it will be more interesting to see what he does in a big acting vehicle like CHERRY.

Pattinson's accent is absolutely hilarious.

a common criticism of CHRISTINE was that, despite ostensibly taking place in Florida, it utterly lacked any and all sense of place. whereas on the other hand, TDATT seems excessively focused on the setting, and while I understand that is absolutely the cost of adapting a novel set in a place near and dear to its author's heart, sometimes it feels like Campos forgets to integrate other aspects as a result. big fan of letting Donald Ray Pollock narrate the film, as useless as the narration actually is.

the most interesting theme TDATT offers is the way religion can be used as a hollow means of gaslighting -- thus the motif of barking dogs in the background. That effect is used sparingly over 140 minutes, but enough to the point where it's impossible to forget the cruel and useless end that Jack met, in the name of The Father.

"who's gonna bury Jack?"
"I don't know. I dunno who's gonna want to bury that thing."

DUDLEY DURSLEY ALL THE TIME BITCH!!!