Last night I saw another one of the Blumhouse movies recently released on the Amazon platform for these Halloween days. Nocturne is not really a horror story but rather a thriller. It has some similarities with the Black Swan movie from 2010 with Natalie Portman, but there are also a few dramatic scenes that reminded me of Whiplash and some freaky parts that could be compared to Suspiria. So it is fair to say Nocturne is like a mix between those 3 films.
This time, the main character is not a dancer or a drummer but a pianist. She has a fraternal twin who also plays the piano and they both go to the same boarding school for students who wish to excel in music. Even though they are similar which is expected given the fact they are twins, they also have important differences in personalities, and one of them happens to find herself in a more comfortable position both in her personal life but also with her academic results.
It will be clear from the beginning that envy between the siblings will be a key part of the events in the movie. The main character is the sibling who isn't entirely happy about her position, she will start to develop an obsession that mirrors the one from Natalie Portman's character in Black Swan, but to be honest, this movie was less creepy. It does have good scenes and only one that could be considered a proper horror scene, which curiously, was used in the promotion of the movie even though it only lasts 1-2 seconds.
I consider it is important to mention this story does have a paranormal/horror element, but it is subtly displayed and it is not the main point of the story. I would have preferred for more horror to be included, especially because when these Blumhouse movies were announced, they were supposed to be all about horror but so far this hasn't been the case. I don' like the fact the horror tag is being used too freely, it can even be disrespectful for actual horror fans to see how this genre is assigned to movies that don't deserve it.
On the other hand, the cast did a good job portraying the characters and the main actress, Sydney Sweeney, did one of the best performances of her career. The creepy elements of the story were intriguing enough for me, but there was also an excess of ambiguity. For example, this movie really had an actual paranormal element, or it was just the character's psychological instability doing funny stuff? Or perhaps both options are correct? I happen to think the paranormal element was real and I think a certain scene in a cave pretty much proves this.
If you are looking for a fine psychological thriller then I recommend you check this flick out. It does have a dose of teen drama, but since this is a dark story set in a boarding school then issues arising between the student are normal.
The best
- Interesting movie with a topic that is not usually explored.
- The main actress did a very good performance.
The worst
- It didn't have the intensity I was expecting, it focused more on the drama.
More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11044858/
Review: AAA
In numbers: 7/10