31/38

It took 7 years to finance

The Maynards and their children live a near-perfect billionaire family life. Amon is an avid hunter, but does not shoot animals, as the family’s wealth allows them to live completely free from consequences. Ayn Rand: The Thing Is, Who’s Gonna Stop Me?

I saw this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival

Filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Juliane Niemann have a clearly interesting satirical take on the wealthy class, and while there are some good ideas, it feels underdeveloped and not as strong as the film thinks it will. The production design, camerawork, and color presentation are stunning and truly beautiful, helping to capture the mood and essence of the characters. Hoesl and Niemann’s direction, while a bit messy, has a clear vision of what style and mood they are approaching.

;t feel like I’m invested in it and there’s no emotional connection

Many of the performances are solid, and some of the children’s performances are a bit weak. The narrative is a good concept, but unfortunately it doesn’t feel as strong as it thinks it should, as the narrative feels underdeveloped in terms of some themes and the characters don’t. It’s like there were some good ideas that didn’t really live up to the potential they wanted.

But it could have been stronger

There are certain moments that are shocking, exciting and quite strange, and I understand where the filmmakers are coming from and their vision. But it doesn’t feel entirely earned, and the style feels far too similar to something Ruben Ostlund or Michael Haneke. Overall it’s not bad, as it has some moments that I appreciate.