The title to Great and Terrible Day of the Lord is wordy. (The title is taken from a verse from Joel and/or Micah and/or Acts.) It warns of God’s imminent judgment and the urgent need for redemption to avoid his wrath. After snuggling up in a spacious and remote cabin together, Gabby and Michael smoke a little weed and Michael warns her of his wrath, describes her fallen state, and predicts her death and damnation on Sunday. He also announces that he created her.
This is a film which is ambitious, dialogue-heavy, and tiresome. Let’s unpack each in succession:
This is a very ambitious film. It tackles thick theological issues (why is there evil if God is all-good and all-powerful? etc.). It relies entirely on a cast of precisely two actors. And it manages to create tension and momentum without the manipulative use of jump scares or grotesque imagery. It eve Read more...
The title to Great and Terrible Day of the Lord is wordy. (The title is taken from a verse from Joel and/or Micah and/or Acts.) It warns of God’s imminent judgment and the urgent need for redemption to avoid his wrath. After snuggling up in a spacious and remote cabin together, Gabby and Michael smoke a little weed and Michael warns her of his wrath, describes her fallen state, and predicts her death and damnation on Sunday. He also announces that he created her.
This is a film which is ambitious, dialogue-heavy, and tiresome. Let’s unpack each in succession:
This is a very ambitious film. It tackles thick theological issues (why is there evil if God is all-good and all-powerful? etc.). It relies entirely on a cast of precisely two actors. And it manages to create tension and momentum without the manipulative use of jump scares or grotesque imagery. It even creates decent thrust without a well-placed score. Indeed, the score seems to have been chosen almost at random and disrupts, rather than confirms, the film’s tones.
This is a very dialogue-heavy film. Super, super heavy. Like, collapses under the weight of its dialogue heavy. That Michael is a nonstop talker. He wears you down.
Indeed, Michael is dislikable. We see this within the first minutes of the film. Gabby just wants to unpack. Michael insists he give her a tour of the house. She demures. He insists. Gabby compromises, can she just unpack a little bit first? Nope. What a dick.
Michael is like that in Michael-mode. And he’s also just like that when he upshifts into Almighty-mode. And as he flips back and forth, he’s consistently overbearing.
Initially, Gabby thinks Michael is crazy, or just stoned. Then, after prayer, she comes to believe. And when Michael switches back to Michael-mode, she thinks he’s crazy.
Ultimately, this is just a very tiresome film. Arguably, it’s no more a horror film than Oh, God! Inarguably it’s not more a great film than Oh God! You Devil.
Don't watch this movie. Judgment day may be just around the corner. Don’t waste what time remains with this one.
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N/A
2.8
