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8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Lily Christine remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s British dramas where everyone speaks in complete, jagged paragraphs, you might find something to chew on here. But honestly? If you’re allergic to plots that could be solved by a five-minute conversation, you should stay far away. It’s a movie that feels like it’s wearing a tuxedo that’s just a little bit too tight.
The whole thing hinges on a "scandalous" night that was, by any modern metric, completely boring. Lily stays with a friend, the gossip machine churns, and suddenly the husband is ready to burn the whole house down. It’s exhausting to watch.
There’s a specific kind of coldness in these old films. It’s not just the black and white film stock, but the way the characters treat each other like they’re pieces on a chess board. You don't feel like these people love each other. You feel like they’re waiting for the other person to trip so they can win the argument.
I found myself staring at the background furniture more than the leads for long stretches. The set design has this weirdly clinical feeling, like a showroom for people who are about to have a nervous breakdown. It’s almost distracting.
I couldn't help but compare the general mood to something like In Search of a Sinner, though this one lacks that movie's occasional spark of life. It just feels a bit... trapped. Like the production itself was nervous about being too loud or too real.
There’s a scene near the middle where a character enters a room and pauses for about three seconds too long. It’s not a dramatic pause. It’s just an empty space where the actor probably forgot their line for a split second, and they decided to keep it in. It makes the whole scene feel oddly human, even if it wasn't intentional. 🤨
Also, the lighting in the third act is genuinely baffling. Half the time, the characters are standing in shadows that seem to exist just to make them look suspicious. It’s not moody; it’s just dark.
If you’re looking for a breezy watch, look elsewhere. This is for the people who want to see the 1930s equivalent of a Twitter pile-on, just with better hats and much worse tea parties.
IMDb —
1918
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