Having seen and liked Flanagan's other movies, I still approached this with some caution. The reviews and even the director himself were referring to this as a dark fantasy tale, but having seen it I would classify as a mix of that and horror, because there are certainly some horrific events taking place in this movie - until you realize, by the end, that it's also a fable and a dark one at that, for my money.
While I didn't know in which direction this one was going, I can see some why folks might have frustrated by this - either because it's not a pure horror film, or those who may have seen the ending coming from a mile away.
I would summarize this movie as a series of metaphors about how we deal with loss, memories, and the limits of imagination. At the same time, I can't help but think of this movie with fondness and awe of the beauty of these things, but also knowing one has to let go, after all - life goes on.
While I didn't know in which direction this one was going, I can see some why folks might have frustrated by this - either because it's not a pure horror film, or those who may have seen the ending coming from a mile away.
I would summarize this movie as a series of metaphors about how we deal with loss, memories, and the limits of imagination. At the same time, I can't help but think of this movie with fondness and awe of the beauty of these things, but also knowing one has to let go, after all - life goes on.