#thoroughbredsreview

Thoroughbreds (2018) Review by: Tristan Bunn

Thoroughbreds is the directorial debut of Cory Finley and stars Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy alongside Anton Yelchin in one hell of a ride. This is a remarkable debut from Finley. It’s always impressive when a young director is so clearly in control of his vision and that is obviously the case with Thoroughbreds.

The film examines empathy and psychopathic behavior, something we’ve seen many times in film, but not often explored as a comedy. We see it in American Psycho and even in the television program Dexter, but what’s interesting here is that Finley examines a character’s lack of empathy and psychopathic tendencies from the people around her, rather than just the character herself. This is where Finley’s screenplay is at its strongest.

This is a somewhat familiar premise, but the writing is so good that it feels incredibly fresh. The dialogue is subtle, yet very clever. There’s this brooding tone throughout much of the film, but it paves the way for laughs and more clever writing. Each character has a distinct voice and their dialogue always reflects their inner demons. I love that every character in Thoroughbreds is struggling with something and trying to find a way to resolve it or find a way to ignore it. Oddly enough, Olivia Cooke’s character seems to be the most comfortable and well put together, at least in her own mind, despite being a psychopath.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s character has this desire to peel back the layers of her friend’s brain and understand her for her own personal use. This is where the film thrives. The banter between these two characters is hilarious. It’s fast dialogue that lacks anything fancy, but it’s so smart and so dry, that it had me laughing the whole way through.

Finley then wisely introduces us to the brilliant Anton Yelchin and his zany character who acts as a huge counterweight to the two leads. He doesn’t have a ton of screen time, but he shines when he’s there. He will be missed greatly because he was one hell of an actor. I don’t want to spoil too much about these characters, but trust the screenplay here because the characters are so well written and so different, yet they are allowed to bounce off of one another with razor sharp wit, thank to Finley’s wonderful dialogue.

Finley’s script shines, but I don’t want to overlook his fantastic direction. First time directors often use a lot of handheld and it can often become obnoxious. Finley is clever in using locked down cameras through the film and it really takes the story to another level. Every camera movement has a purpose. There are a lot of slow dollies and they're all there for a reason. There are quick pans, slow tilts, and a lot of different set ups regarding the camera. The locked down camera was such a prudent choice considering the lack of empathy and fear one character contains. Despite the situation and stakes rising, our leads are always remarkably calm. The camera represents that. The wildest the camera gets is when another character begins to freak out, but the audience is always steady and grounded alongside the leads.

The framing is consistently wonderful as well. Finley makes sure to always have a beautiful lack of dead space, even when he frames characters on the far side of the screen. It’s impressive when a director is able to use the camera to help the audience inhabit a character’s mind and space, and Finley does this perfectly. I genuinely can’t wait to see what he does in the future. Even the lighting is dark and beautiful, constantly illuminating the depths of these characters, despite how dark they may be, and the score accompanies all of this to perfection, shooting a jolt of life into the veins of Thoroughbreds.

The performances are truly electrifying. Olivia Cooke commands the entire screen and Anya Taylor-Joy breathes creativity with every line of dialogue she speaks or look she cuts. These two women feel like seasoned veterans who have been knocking out killer performances for decades. I’ve been a fan of these actresses already, but these performances took them to new levels. They vanished into the skin of these people, letting Finley’s dark world absorb them along the way and it is well worth it for us audience members. Also, Anton Yelchin is so much fun and did a tremendous job in his final role. He’s the odd character out of place here and he played every note to perfection. He will truly be missed.

As you can see, I highly recommend Thoroughbreds. I don’t really have any issues with it, and with a film like this it’s always hard to try and find some. I think it meanders a little bit as it moves into the second act, but that’s it. I loved the whole experience this film provided and I really loved getting sucked in by the truly remarkable directing. Check this one out because it’s too well made and too much fun to let it slip under the radar.