I appreciate attempts to do something ambitious and unusual with a film, regardless of whether it works out. Steven Knight’s story feels off from the very beginning. There's an oddness present, with strange conversations and subtle hints suggesting something deeper is at play. Then, a twist that seems predictable alters everything, shifting our perspective completely. However, this change ultimately undermines the movie, creating inconsistencies and plot holes. The film was not particularly good before the twist, but afterward, it descends into something truly awful. Compounding this issue is the final message Steven Knight leaves with the audience—likely one of the worst since *The Emoji Movie*. The idea that "doing the wrong things for the right reasons" can be justifiable is a contentious point on its own, but given what unfolds in the film and who’s involved, it feels completely misguided, and I suspect Knight didn't intend to convey this message as he did. Beneath all the unnecessary scenes (since the twist makes much of what precedes it understandable) and awkward lines, there's a compelling story and an interesting concept waiting to be explored. I don’t know what happened during the scriptwriting or filming process, but it explains why its original release date in October was pushed back to January. This seemed destined to be an Oscar-bait film: a director/writer with Oscar aspirations, plus two actors who have previously won Oscars, working on something that appears more substantial than it is. I imagine production companies anticipated this and tried to prevent an even larger failure. I always believe that a movie lacking basic technical quality rarely stands out, but equally, a captivating story with well-developed characters can’t be rescued by impressive visuals or special effects. *Serenity* doesn't deliver on either front. While I was pleased the film was shot in one location and the set design is appealing, the editing feels abrupt. It seems Knight had to cut scenes to shorten the runtime, but it wasn’t handled well. There are numerous instances where a character is facing one direction, and the next scene shows them suddenly facing someone else—this happens frequently. Baker and his son are the characters we learn most about, as their relationship is repeatedly emphasized. I glimpsed what seemed like a promising story beneath all the chaos, but that hope quickly vanishes as new characters or subplots emerge, leaving everything feeling empty. Jeremy Strong’s character is bafflingly absurd, Diane Lane (Constance) is one of many reasons why the twist doesn't work, and another character frustrated me most despite not appearing on screen. The film spends considerable time discussing this person, setting up what seems like a crucial subplot, only to completely disregard them by the end. It’s as if they were never mentioned—why? Why create anticipation only to leave audiences feeling confused and disappointed? The tone is strange from start to finish, becoming even more peculiar after the twist. Even Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway can't escape some poorly written lines. However, it’s the cast that prevents this film from being a complete disaster. McConaughey is an exceptional actor who demonstrates his versatility throughout. Hathaway has less material to work with, and I found her dialogue to be the weakest, but I can’t deny her ability to convey emotion. Jason Clarke (Frank Zariakas) is convincing as the violent father/husband, and Djimon Hounsou (Duke) gets a few moments to shine. Ultimately, *Serenity* attempts something bold but fails spectacularly. It's riddled with plot holes, logical inconsistencies, awkward dialogue, poor editing, underdeveloped characters, and abandoned subplots. Steven Knight had an intriguing thriller-mystery in mind, but his execution is shockingly flawed, and the twist transforms everything into something significantly worse. The final message is the primary reason I can’t recommend this film, especially for viewers bringing teenagers or children. Matthew McConaughey's performance is enough to prevent a total catastrophe, and I believe there was something truly remarkable buried beneath all the mess. It’s likely to end up as one of the worst films of 2019, unless cinema has an exceptionally bad year. Rating: D-

Source on TMDB