Mark Kermode

Plaudits to...

to Kane Parsons for maintaining this really genuine air of mystery and sort of unfolding weirdness because the film itself leaves the audience with more questions than answers.

And it also crucially leaves you eager to earn more.

Now, it was interesting that I saw...

There's been some stuff recently that Mark Duplass, who's involved in this, went online, went to social media to address reports that Cain Parsons hadn't really directed the film.

Because the film's got many executive producers, which include Oz Perkins, James Wan, Sean Levy, so quite established talent.

And so some people have said, well, obviously this 20-year-old didn't direct this.

I have to say, I saw an interview with that 20-year-old, and they seemed to know exactly what they were talking about.

I mean, they seemed to know this world inside out, and they seemed to know what they were doing.

So I have no insider information in this at all, but despite the extraordinary youth of the creator of this world...

They seemed to know absolutely what they were doing.

I mean, there are moments of proper nightmarish horror, moments of cracked consumerist satire, but the whole thing has a really engulfing air of intrigue and dawning horror.

It's not an expensive movie, but it does create an absolutely complete otherworld, anti-world, upside down, whatever it is.

And I was really, really gripped by it.

And I knew nothing beforehand.

And I absolutely shared the lead's experience of what is going on.

And I found it genuinely engrossing and often very creepy.

Well, as you said, he was the guest last week.

I think that Leo would have found it quite hard to describe the film.

Let's see if I can do any better, okay?