I like the craft a lot, this might just be Wright's most well made film. You can also feel that he's challenging himself by stripping away a lot of the humour and irony that's found in all of his previous work. However, I think that this exposes a lot of his weaknesses as a writer. For one, the logic of the plot doesn't make a lot of sense and the plot twists are very predictable. The characters and dialogue are so one dimensional and on the nose that it reminded me of 80s teen horror flicks. It's probably intentional, and I get that most of this is directed from the perspective of the protagonist, but it doesn't make her more interesting or likable. On top of that, the horror elements feel tacked on and goofy, it's almost like Wright briefly forgot that he isn't making _Shaun of the Dead_ here. As the film goes on it starts to embrace its Argento influence, which is an interesting experiment, but the execution of the tonal shift isn't smooth. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the sequences taking place in the 1960s. The constant switching between Eloise and Sandie is a nice visual cue and the soundtrack picks are amazing. The theme about romanticizing the past is handled pretty well, more so than its commentary about gender. It's a masterclass in editing and pacing, as expected from Edgar Wright. Lots of inventive cuts and great scene transitions. Overall it's alright, but it does show that Wright's style is at its best when he fully embraces the cartoony and ironic nature of his scripts.

5.5/10