12/43
It took 7 years to finance
Synopsis
The Maynards and their children lead a near-perfect billionaire life. Amon is an avid hunter, but he doesn’t shoot animals, as his family’s wealth allows him to live completely without consequences. Ayn Rand: The Point Is, Who’s Gonna Stop Me?
I saw this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
The film’s directors, Daniel Hoesl and Juliane Niemann, clearly have an interesting satirical take on the wealthy class, and while there are some good ideas, they seem underdeveloped and not as strong as the film thinks they are. The production design, camerawork, and color presentation are beautiful and really beautiful as they help capture the atmosphere and essence within the characters. The direction from Hoesl and Niemann, while a bit sloppy, has a clear vision for what style and atmosphere they are going for.
;it doesn’t feel like an investment or interesting emotional connection
Many of the performances are solid with a few of the children’s performances being a bit weak. The narrative is a good concept, but unfortunately, it feels strong because the narrative feels underdeveloped with some of the themes and characters. It feels like there were some good ideas that didn’t really hit the mark.
But it could have been stronger
There are certain moments that are shocking, edgy and quite bizarre and I understand where the filmmakers are coming from and their vision. But it doesn’t feel fully earned and the style feels too similar to something by Ruben Ostlund or Michael Haneke. Overall, it’s not bad because there are some moments that I appreciate.