8MM (1999) review

Has that slow paced vibe with a strong thriller atmosphere and score. Around 30 minutes in, it’s hard to get hooked because of the slow pace. This feels like an old school dark web black market. I had to be on guard since I didn’t know what I would watch next. Nagulat ako nandito si Norman Reedus. Matagal na pala siyang artist. Ang bata pa niya dito. Joaquin Phoenix is a great supporting actor here. Peter Stormare delivers such a powerful performance as always. They both bring an edge to the film that keeps it from being flat. It feels like Purge: Anarchy at times, kidnapping people and hunting them down for sport. Rich people can do whatever they want, even for their twisted desires. What I didn’t fully get is why the main character became so obsessed with revenge. I understand the anger, but the level of fixation felt a bit forced for me. The final scene with Machine is absolutely suspenseful. That part really works. But that’s it. There’s nothing profound or groundbreaking about the film. It just shows that pure evil exists, that some people do horrible things for no deeper reason other than they want to.