120 reviews
Had Low Expectations...
- AmericasFan
- Jul 26, 2021
- Permalink
Not bad
After reading some of the reviews I was expecting this movie to be terrible. I don't think this film is as bad as people are saying. It wasn't great but it doesn't deserve a 1 star rating. I thought it flowed well and I especially liked the ending. Not a film I'd watch again but it definitely wasn't a waste of time. 5 stars.
- Draysan-Jennings
- Jul 2, 2021
- Permalink
Not a bad take on the trauma of divorce and death on kids
I was pleasantly surprised by the look of these supernatural monsters. With a nice balance of practical and special effects, we're given nightmare inducing puppets coming to life, an uber creepy contortionist clown, played by Troy James. You may not know his name, but if you watch The Flash on CW, you'll better know him as Rag Doll or any horror movie with a contorting character it's probably Troy James behind the makeup (Jangly Man in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or the Backwards Man in Black Box to name a few) and the main 'baddie' which was some sort of witchy looking grim reaper type creature, all felt and looked original in appearance and most scenes involving them were genuinely creepy. The actors were all fine in their roles and kept me engaged for the entire runtime.
That said, it's not a perfect horror movie as it suffers from a runtime that feels a tad too long. The first act could've used a bit of editing to tighten things up and get us to the supernatural stuff sooner. It's also predictable as hell. I guessed about ninety percent of what was going to happen and I was one hundred percent right. Still, Separation isn't bad. It's the kind of horror movie I would show to someone who doesn't like hardcore horror, but who scares easily (I already have a victim in mind LOL) and if you're a true horror fan, I still think it's worth a look.
That said, it's not a perfect horror movie as it suffers from a runtime that feels a tad too long. The first act could've used a bit of editing to tighten things up and get us to the supernatural stuff sooner. It's also predictable as hell. I guessed about ninety percent of what was going to happen and I was one hundred percent right. Still, Separation isn't bad. It's the kind of horror movie I would show to someone who doesn't like hardcore horror, but who scares easily (I already have a victim in mind LOL) and if you're a true horror fan, I still think it's worth a look.
- myignisrules
- May 5, 2021
- Permalink
Part family melodrama part supernatural horror, doesn't quite come together but does have some decent performances and craft.
Jeff Vahn (Rupert Friend) is a struggling comic book artist who hasn't had success since he torpedoed a licensing deal for his breakout comic The Grisly Kin. Tensions are mounting between Jeff and his wife Maggie (Mamie Gummer) who voices her frustration with being the primary support for the household and feels Jeff isn't being an attentive father to their daughter Jenny (Violet McGraw), spending more time with babysitter, Samantha (Madeline Brewer). Backed by her father Paul Rivers (Brian Cox), Maggie initiates divorce proceedings against Jeff fighting for sole custody until Maggie is killed in a hit and run. Despite Maggie's death, Paul makes his intentions clear he will fight for custody of Jenny. As Jenny exhibits odd behaviors and Jeff experiences vivid nightmares, his collaborator on a horror comic, writer Alan Ross (Simon Quarterman), shares his views on the paranormal that Maggie may not be done with Jenny.
Directed by William Brent Bell and written by noted producer Josh Braun of History of Violence, House of the Devil, and Creep with a co-writing credit by noted creator of Sci-Fi channel comic book series, The Anti-Gravity Room, Nick Amadeus. Separation combines the familiar horror tropes seen in Bell's other work whilst also touching upon familial discord and comic book/graphic novel elements. I can't say it fully works, but it did keep me engaged until the very end wondering how they were going to tie the elements together.
Rupert Friend does a good job playing a struggling father who's a bit of a mess professionally and personally as he's never really moved past his one point of success with The Grisly Kin and has shown reluctance to move past his initial success with the work or collaboration or compromise with others in the industry, it's certainly a solid character even if it doesn't give him high ground as a father. Violet McGraw does okay as Jenny, she handles the material about as well as can be expected, but there is something about how the character is conveyed that reminds me of those mid 2000s films like Hide and Seek or Godsend that tried to capture the ambiance of The Ring or The Sixth Sense in a way that felt kind of forced. It's not like this character type hasn't been done well as the film What Maisie Knew showed a similar child character in the middle of a messy divorce or even in similar genre films like Mike Flannagan's Before I Wake that used horror iconography mixed with exploration of a child's mind in dealing with unprocessed grief and PTSD. Separation feels like it's trying to tackle similar issues but there's a bit of a disconnect between the themes it addresses and how it presents them, especially since it relies upon the character of Jenny spelling out "the point" at the climax of the movie.
I did enjoy the various physical manifestations of The Grisly Kin characters (even if much of their incorporation was mostly used for fake outs albeit very nice looking ones), and there is a fun performance with director Bell's frequent collaborator Simon Quarterman playing Alan Ross, in a cute reference to comic writer Alan Moore and comic artist Alex Ross, who was actually an enjoyable character filling the horror checkbox of "occult expert" that works on another level with Alan Moore being a practicing wizard in real life (look it up). Quartermain's performance is so good I actually wouldn't mind seeing him reprise this master comic writer/occult expert in another movie because it's a really strong character and performance.
Separation is just okay. It's not boring because it's got such a bizarre mixture of elements with its Comic Book references, family melodrama, and Henry Selick/Tim Burton esque monster designs that I found it to be a watchable sit all things considered. I can't say exactly that it "worked", but this isn't a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, nor is it a 4.6 on IMDb, it probably belongs somewhere around a 5.5 if I'm being honest.
Directed by William Brent Bell and written by noted producer Josh Braun of History of Violence, House of the Devil, and Creep with a co-writing credit by noted creator of Sci-Fi channel comic book series, The Anti-Gravity Room, Nick Amadeus. Separation combines the familiar horror tropes seen in Bell's other work whilst also touching upon familial discord and comic book/graphic novel elements. I can't say it fully works, but it did keep me engaged until the very end wondering how they were going to tie the elements together.
Rupert Friend does a good job playing a struggling father who's a bit of a mess professionally and personally as he's never really moved past his one point of success with The Grisly Kin and has shown reluctance to move past his initial success with the work or collaboration or compromise with others in the industry, it's certainly a solid character even if it doesn't give him high ground as a father. Violet McGraw does okay as Jenny, she handles the material about as well as can be expected, but there is something about how the character is conveyed that reminds me of those mid 2000s films like Hide and Seek or Godsend that tried to capture the ambiance of The Ring or The Sixth Sense in a way that felt kind of forced. It's not like this character type hasn't been done well as the film What Maisie Knew showed a similar child character in the middle of a messy divorce or even in similar genre films like Mike Flannagan's Before I Wake that used horror iconography mixed with exploration of a child's mind in dealing with unprocessed grief and PTSD. Separation feels like it's trying to tackle similar issues but there's a bit of a disconnect between the themes it addresses and how it presents them, especially since it relies upon the character of Jenny spelling out "the point" at the climax of the movie.
I did enjoy the various physical manifestations of The Grisly Kin characters (even if much of their incorporation was mostly used for fake outs albeit very nice looking ones), and there is a fun performance with director Bell's frequent collaborator Simon Quarterman playing Alan Ross, in a cute reference to comic writer Alan Moore and comic artist Alex Ross, who was actually an enjoyable character filling the horror checkbox of "occult expert" that works on another level with Alan Moore being a practicing wizard in real life (look it up). Quartermain's performance is so good I actually wouldn't mind seeing him reprise this master comic writer/occult expert in another movie because it's a really strong character and performance.
Separation is just okay. It's not boring because it's got such a bizarre mixture of elements with its Comic Book references, family melodrama, and Henry Selick/Tim Burton esque monster designs that I found it to be a watchable sit all things considered. I can't say exactly that it "worked", but this isn't a 7% on Rotten Tomatoes, nor is it a 4.6 on IMDb, it probably belongs somewhere around a 5.5 if I'm being honest.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Oct 23, 2021
- Permalink
Not THAT bad
Firstly, this movie isn't nearly as terrible as people are making it out to be. Yes, it's nothing memorable and the runtime is way to long, but it somewhat redeems itself with some creepy moments and awesome ghost (I assume) designs.
The editing is rather sloppy with some moments feeling as if scenes were cut and then forgotten to add back, giving it a very rushed feeling.
Over all its entertaining enough to sit through but don't expect to be wowed. It had so much potential but ultimately never reaches the heights it could have.
The editing is rather sloppy with some moments feeling as if scenes were cut and then forgotten to add back, giving it a very rushed feeling.
Over all its entertaining enough to sit through but don't expect to be wowed. It had so much potential but ultimately never reaches the heights it could have.
- tweezygum-98276
- Aug 27, 2021
- Permalink
Don't waste your time.
A dark and enjoyable horror movie...
I stumbled upon the 2021 horror movie "Separation" without ever having heard about it. And of course, with it being a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch it.
And let me just say that writers Nick Amadeus and Josh Braun actually managed to scribble down a script and storyline that provided good wholesome entertainment. The movie is not really scary in terms of it being a horror movie, but the atmosphere is dark and brooding and there are some genuinely creepy moments throughout the course of the story.
"Separation" has a pretty interesting cast ensemble, with the lead part being played phenomenally well by actor Rupert Friend. He really carried this movie nicely with his performance. It should also be said that child actress Violet McGraw definitely was a star in this movie as well, and she put on a very good performance. And the movie also has Brian Cox on the cast list, though in a minor role.
Visually then the special effects and practical effects in "Separation" were quite good and very convincing. The design of the apparitions - or whatever you'd call them - were very interesting and very detailed. And the special effects brought the movie to life in a very entertaining manner. And of course, a movie such as "Separation" needed to have proper special effects to function.
Director William Brent Bell definitely churned out a wholesome horror movie here with the 2021 movie "Separation". I was more than genuinely entertained by the movie.
The ending of the movie, however, was a bit rushed and lame actually. It would have been much more fulfilling if the writers had gone a whole different way with the ending, because what transpired on the screen as the movie came to an end just felt very anti-climatic.
All in all, then "Separation" is a watchable, enjoyable and entertaining horror movie. My rating of this movie lands on a six out of ten stars.
And let me just say that writers Nick Amadeus and Josh Braun actually managed to scribble down a script and storyline that provided good wholesome entertainment. The movie is not really scary in terms of it being a horror movie, but the atmosphere is dark and brooding and there are some genuinely creepy moments throughout the course of the story.
"Separation" has a pretty interesting cast ensemble, with the lead part being played phenomenally well by actor Rupert Friend. He really carried this movie nicely with his performance. It should also be said that child actress Violet McGraw definitely was a star in this movie as well, and she put on a very good performance. And the movie also has Brian Cox on the cast list, though in a minor role.
Visually then the special effects and practical effects in "Separation" were quite good and very convincing. The design of the apparitions - or whatever you'd call them - were very interesting and very detailed. And the special effects brought the movie to life in a very entertaining manner. And of course, a movie such as "Separation" needed to have proper special effects to function.
Director William Brent Bell definitely churned out a wholesome horror movie here with the 2021 movie "Separation". I was more than genuinely entertained by the movie.
The ending of the movie, however, was a bit rushed and lame actually. It would have been much more fulfilling if the writers had gone a whole different way with the ending, because what transpired on the screen as the movie came to an end just felt very anti-climatic.
All in all, then "Separation" is a watchable, enjoyable and entertaining horror movie. My rating of this movie lands on a six out of ten stars.
- paul_haakonsen
- Aug 15, 2021
- Permalink
Mean mom, muffin dad, no plot, twist comes out of no where.
This was a nonsensical movie with no plot. There is no character arc for anyone. The twist isn't even remotely hinted at. I mean if you can call it a twist I guess.
The wife wants a divorce and they are in mediation the next week. They are making fun of him. He will get nothing and no custody. Even his attorney says he's screwed. Why?
He has to call 911 for an allergy for his daughter. The cops show up for some reason and need to take his daughter because they suspect abuse. Of corpse they got a hold of the grandpa somehow and he shows up instantly. The dad is like "okay". What?
The cops don't come for an allergic reaction.
Everything was so heavy handed and not close to reality. Three stars is being generous, the monsters were cool though.
The wife wants a divorce and they are in mediation the next week. They are making fun of him. He will get nothing and no custody. Even his attorney says he's screwed. Why?
He has to call 911 for an allergy for his daughter. The cops show up for some reason and need to take his daughter because they suspect abuse. Of corpse they got a hold of the grandpa somehow and he shows up instantly. The dad is like "okay". What?
The cops don't come for an allergic reaction.
Everything was so heavy handed and not close to reality. Three stars is being generous, the monsters were cool though.
Why?
- snowgeorge-94368
- Jul 15, 2021
- Permalink
Interesting Premise, but Falls a bit Short of the Mark
- Reviews_of_the_Dead
- May 17, 2021
- Permalink
Cool Contortionist Clown. Not Much Else
- peterscarpinato
- Apr 29, 2021
- Permalink
See-through but still good
This movie was somewhat predictable. Basic trope. The acting was really good though. I enjoyed the visuals. Not a basic horror movie, don't expect blood and gore.
- lilymartin-57094
- May 1, 2021
- Permalink
An Ok Horror
I have been waiting for this movie to come out for months now so I was so excited to watch it for the first time today. I have to say this movie was a let down, from seeing the trailer and actually seeing the movie. You basically see the whole movie in the trailer so nothing was new. I loved the while comic book aspect and believe this movie could have been so much more then what it was. They literally opened up so many doors for this movie to have gone through with adding the whole comic books aspect, but they failed to deliver. This felt like a story that has been done time and time again, so a person could easily guess what was going to happen before it actually did. I will say this, the girl was adorable and the actors did make this story believable. Downside was it was to believable at times to be scary or anything but a drama.
These actors, this creative team, those CGI people... They all should know better
The idea is somewhat promising and some of the nightmarish images are quite effective. Such a shame that is all vastly undermined by performances that are all over the place (specially in the idiotic twist reveal), laughable CGI, lackluster pacing and a really stupid ending. It's awful because it can't even barely justify itself. Painfully executed.
Lazy writing and directing
I cannot believe how poorly written and directed this film is. The premise has so much potential but the story and film get so many details wrong by just being lazy. Separation is not worth going to the theatre to see; if you must watch it then wait to see it on cable or online.
- calypsokidd
- Apr 30, 2021
- Permalink
So incredibly not what I thought...
- ravenhair702
- Jun 8, 2021
- Permalink
Just Throw Away Both Parents
I personally didn't care for the plot, as it's nothing that hasn't been done before, but I appreciated the monster/ghost designs and how they evolved from the dad's artwork. With a better story that sort of thing could have a lot more potential. Otherwise there's nothing particularly remarkable about this movie.
- i_kemenyyy
- Aug 4, 2021
- Permalink
Not bad, but could have been better
Predictable and a bit messy, but engaging and quite unique- Separation manages to stir up just enough interesting psychological scares to provide for a compelling, if uneven, film. I'll start off with the films flaws, this movie can be a bit predictable at times, especially towards the end. The plot twist is kinda stupid if i'm being honest, and the obscurity of what the film is trying to say at the end proves to be more confusing than interesting. The editing can also be a bit messy at times, feeling like the film itself wasn't quite ready to go out, with transitions between some scenes almost being non-existent. That all being said, i'll focus on the positives of this film. For one thing, it's an incredibly interesting and entertaining to watch. Rupert Friend makes for a compelling and sympathetic lead and the mystery throughout the film is quite fun to follow at times. It has a clear and dark tone all the way through and although it does have a hard time balancing reality with fantasy- is does manage to have some great visuals and imagery throughout which are wonderfully creepy to look at. In the end, Separation could have been a lot better given its intriguing plot if it had just spent a bit more time in production rather than be rushed out. Despite its flaws though, it still makes for a compelling horror film, and one vastly more original and unique than most mainstream companies dare to try today.
My Rating: 6.8/10.
My Rating: 6.8/10.
- aidanratesmovies
- Oct 2, 2021
- Permalink
It was ok not theater worthy, some ok effects, decent acting, mediocre story
Didnt hate it but didnt love it we wanted to get out of the house and not much is playing because Hollywood is so fricking greedy!! Had a few good moments and we liked that cast. Didnt really need Brian cox but I'm sure he needs a paycheck as well. I'd recommend waiting for Netflix or Amazon, hbo, whatever. Not worth going to the theater but it was nice to get out of the house and it was senior day so its 5 bucks.
Worst babysitter ever!
Well, the movie is not unique in any way but I really liked the music and the special effects. It has its creepy moments but that's it. If you are a horror fan who watches all movies, you might enjoy it a bit. Acting and directing wasn't bad either. The plot is kinda thin at moments tho.
- ckarnoutsos
- Jun 30, 2021
- Permalink
Trailer was better than the movie
- patch-61957
- May 15, 2021
- Permalink
Draw me the stuff of nightmares
- nogodnomasters
- Aug 5, 2021
- Permalink
You've got you're single dad drama in my wannabe James Wan horror movie
- jonathancupp66
- Jul 7, 2021
- Permalink
Had a flashback to Momma in Kramer Vs. Kramer
That would be Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer's mom who played Mrs. Kramer. Though she left her husband and son, she returns after an injury to their son and a nasty custody battle ensues. A far superior movie.
This movie has the good, the bad and indifferent. The pacing was very slow and the cinematography was average. The editing was lacking as it bounced around aimlessly. The character development was minimal but you get an outline of who they are. Divorce is in progress and the custody battle ensues. Mom is the domineering, breadwinning shrew and Dad is the hapless milquetoast. Mom returns to work for her father as an attorney because Dad is in a perpetual pity party for one, due to his one-hit wonder of a comic book. Initially it's the chicken and egg scenerio but when you see that video in happier times, it's clear her attitude evolves as he devolves. Never good,though, when you have children.
He lives in this past glory futilely attempting to resurrect it but it appears he revels in his pity with the babysitter who thinks he's a genius. See where this could be headed??!!
Theeeeennnn...sheishitbyacarandkilled. Problem solved. No it is not...Now it's Daddy's turn.
The sitter is more interested in the father than her charge but the daughter is more interested in her imaginary world. This is where reality begins to clash with the otherworldly.
At this point, it's still slow. There are typical cliches such as; oh it's just a dream, now it's hallucinating and now it's supernatural in their world.
Then you have the requisite medical condition that foreshadows an upcoming plot turn. This time it's a peanut allergy. Though only approximately 1% of the population has such an allergy, it seems 75% of those are movie and TV characters.
The new trend seems to be the creepy contortionist creature. I've seen many in the past few years, the last being Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, which is also a better movie. This is by no means an insult to the talents of Troy James, he is one of the highlights of the movie. If they continue using this trope, he will be working steadily for a long time.
I was sure of the killer in this and I was right, so that was anti-climatic, as was the ending. The pace picked up in the latter third but it was predictable.
Another plus were the sinister dolls and the artwork. It was a clever idea to have the Dad as a comic book writer/artist. It lent well to the story.
I personally will not watch this again but it wasn't a waste of time.
This movie has the good, the bad and indifferent. The pacing was very slow and the cinematography was average. The editing was lacking as it bounced around aimlessly. The character development was minimal but you get an outline of who they are. Divorce is in progress and the custody battle ensues. Mom is the domineering, breadwinning shrew and Dad is the hapless milquetoast. Mom returns to work for her father as an attorney because Dad is in a perpetual pity party for one, due to his one-hit wonder of a comic book. Initially it's the chicken and egg scenerio but when you see that video in happier times, it's clear her attitude evolves as he devolves. Never good,though, when you have children.
He lives in this past glory futilely attempting to resurrect it but it appears he revels in his pity with the babysitter who thinks he's a genius. See where this could be headed??!!
Theeeeennnn...sheishitbyacarandkilled. Problem solved. No it is not...Now it's Daddy's turn.
The sitter is more interested in the father than her charge but the daughter is more interested in her imaginary world. This is where reality begins to clash with the otherworldly.
At this point, it's still slow. There are typical cliches such as; oh it's just a dream, now it's hallucinating and now it's supernatural in their world.
Then you have the requisite medical condition that foreshadows an upcoming plot turn. This time it's a peanut allergy. Though only approximately 1% of the population has such an allergy, it seems 75% of those are movie and TV characters.
The new trend seems to be the creepy contortionist creature. I've seen many in the past few years, the last being Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, which is also a better movie. This is by no means an insult to the talents of Troy James, he is one of the highlights of the movie. If they continue using this trope, he will be working steadily for a long time.
I was sure of the killer in this and I was right, so that was anti-climatic, as was the ending. The pace picked up in the latter third but it was predictable.
Another plus were the sinister dolls and the artwork. It was a clever idea to have the Dad as a comic book writer/artist. It lent well to the story.
I personally will not watch this again but it wasn't a waste of time.
- kimcoxmonm
- Oct 24, 2021
- Permalink
Recycled ideas, waste of time.
The plot sucks, they reuse a lot of ideas that have been done already. Troy James' character is literally pointless. Basic and see through plot.
- doctorsleeeep
- Apr 29, 2021
- Permalink