7/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. His Big Love remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Look, if you are the kind of person who enjoys finding hidden gems in the dusty corners of cinematic history, you might get a kick out of His Big Love. If you prefer your movies to have, you know, actual pacing, you’ll probably want to skip this one entirely.
It’s not exactly a thrill ride. It’s more like watching a very slow, very polite car crash in slow motion. ☕
The whole thing feels like it was filmed inside a velvet box. Everything is draped in these heavy, suffocating curtains and everyone talks like they’re reciting poetry during a funeral. It’s exhausting.
There is this one scene where they are just standing in a hallway—like, for an eternity. I checked my watch twice. The lighting is so dim I thought my monitor had died.
The movie is trying so hard to be sophisticated, but it keeps stumbling over its own feet. It reminds me a bit of The Tailor in how it focuses on the minutiae of daily life, but without the charm. Sometimes I felt like the director was more interested in the wallpaper than the actual dialogue.
One of the characters has this monologue about 'destiny' that goes on for a solid four minutes. It felt like they forgot to yell 'cut' and the actor just kept going because he didn't know what else to do. It was kind of brave, honestly.
You can tell they put a lot of money into the costumes, but they forgot to write a reason for us to care about the people wearing them. It’s a pretty package with nothing inside. Not bad, just... there. Like furniture that takes up too much space. 🛋️
If you're bored, give it a shot. Otherwise, maybe just watch Youthful Folly again instead.