Held

Cannily exploiting #MeToo themes and the opportunities for cinematic mayhem provided by technology-driven smart homes, Held proves an uncommonly thoughtful and provocative suspenser.

The film is scary not in its extraordinary imaginings but in the mundane familiarity that underpins those imaginings.

Beyond the premise though, Held is pretty much stale ginger ale, not fresh, no fizz, thinly acted and tepidly paced. While it’s passably interesting, watching co-directors Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing (The Gallows) explore the antiseptic house as if watching a a real estate video, the accompanying thin drama drifts into episodic genre violence and doubtful logic.

The film doesn’t quite cut to the heart of the socially nurtured fantasies that splinter men from women.

It lacks the cleverness or the panache to give its schtick the proper zing.

Held may have messaging that fits the cultural moment well enough, and visceral violence that pulls us in and engages — eventually. But that first hour has beaten our interest in this slow-moving indie thriller to death long before that.

And while I understand the anger that animates Awbrey’s script, anger doesn’t excuse its overall weak argumentation, not to mention its rampant plot holes.

Great Indie thriller movie. Loved the story and kept me engaged til the end.

What I found quite problematic and annoying is the lack of ideas considering the concept lent itself to something more detailed, if not so disturbing. Unfortunately for the plot, the way it unfolds makes an attentive viewer notice what is happening faster, at least from a certain perspective and at least faster than I think the film expected. And that's just the script problem. The lack of imagination of the directors hurts, and it's because the cat and mouse story is quite predictable, and at the same time it lacks a better execution. At the very least, I would've liked an execution that managed to create a healthy amount of suspense and tension. The mystery exists, but it only remains there because as it happens with any mystery, you want to know the answer and the one that this movie offers is discouraging. Amateur horror.