This is not an easily digestible movie, nor do I think is it intended to be.

“Megalopolis” was produced, written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which while it is probably what will draw most people to the movie, I also think that it may be one of the biggest weaknesses.

Hear me out: Coppola’s best and most revered works (in my opinion) were him adapting previously written narratives: The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. His choices in casting, how he adapted the story, his cinematography, the performances he coaxed, all are deserved reasons for his awards and fan-following.

But this one he alone was responsible for the story, creating the characters and their motivations, and while the cinematography and creativity were fully evident, it didn’t convince me that all the excesses were necessary to illustrate what he wanted to emphasize and it just felt to me like someone who didn’t have anybody saying “no” or giving pushback on ideas. Yes, he took some chances and and I'm not saying he has no creativity. But this movie is truly a vanity project, for better or worse. For me, it was for worse.

Your motivation for watching movies may be the determining factor as to whether or not you like “Megalopolis”. If you go to be entertained, I don’t think this is it. If you go because you love certain filmmakers, consider yourself a connoisseur of cinema, feel like there are too many movies for the common person, or you like unique cinematic visions and searching for hidden subtext, this is more along your lines.

I feel like this is an "Emperor's New Clothes" kind of movie. Most people will look and say, oh, there are no clothes. While others will congratulate themselves on how they are able to see just how brilliant the clothes look. Bravo to you if you could see the clothes in Megalopolis. I couldn't.