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Thoroughbreds (2018), R, ★★★


I knew nothing going into this movie other than the fact that I recognize the three stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke and the late Anton Yelchin. All I knew that this movie was about some ploy to have two girls plan to kill Taylor-Joy's character's step-father. However, I was going in with more than an open mind because of the three lead actors. However, psychological distress in one certain character elevates this story into a territory that can be borderline risky surrounding her personality because it is all about the execution and the pay-off. In those two components, it is solidly executed and paid off thanks to two terrific performances.

Amanda (Olivia Cooke) is an emotionally unstable girl who has been distant to her former friend, Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy). Lily has been paid by Amanda's mom to come to her house and tutor Amanda. However, she knows Lily has been paid to hang out with her instead of tutoring her, which the latter tries to deny. Afterwards, Amanda meets Lily's stepfather, Mark (Paul Sparks), who is rude to her. Amanda constantly asks questions to Lily until she ultimately suggests to kill him. Lily thinks it is a dumb plan.

Lily finds out that she got expelled for plagiarizing a paper and is sent to a different school. Because of her anger, she destroys Mark's rowing machine, which results in him having a broken nose and wrist. Because of an argument with her mom, Lily decides and tells Amanda that she wants to kill her step-father. The girls find the drug-dealer, Tim (Anton Yelchin) to carry out a hit on Mark.


I truly admire that this movie is more darkly humorous than solely dark because if it were to turn in that latter road, it would have been a straight-line-to-the-line type of movie where you can factor every single component and every character as to who will get away and who will get the consequences. But, also, that is darkly twisted than expected with an opening scene that establishes the character with Amanda setting up the well-constructed plot surrounding her character and also atmosphere for this whole movie. Even though it is a fictional, unrealistic dark comedy/drama, these two female characters are set up as real teenage characters who face reality and they have a slim chance to have a happy end.

Both Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke develop a weird chemistry that works that is both funny and also tantalizing as the movie reaches its climax. There is a moment with Anton Yelchin, who also gave his final unpredictable but solid performance, that I did not see coming and I fully appreciated it because of how the character is drawn. Some of the comedy does not work sometimes as it felt too weird at the moment. However, director Cory Finley does a nice job balancing both thrills and comedy in a teen genre that is well-acted and well-written of delivering a devilish portrait of the human condition that can be told as a dream or a nightmare in some perspectives.

***


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