_This Should Have Been a Short Film_ - they could've cut at least one hour and we would still get the same message.

I wanted to love it, but got literally nothing out of this film. After all the raving reviews it got I was so let down. This movie is trying so hard to be profound but sometimes less is too little.

I absolutely appreciate the artistry (visuals are pretty good), performances, and subtle storytelling in this film, but I was struggling to stay engaged. These movies are tricky because you either get into it and spend 1.5 hours very peacefully or you get incredibly bored. Sadly, I felt absolutely nothing except boredom. I feel completely empty after watching this and quite surprised at the reactions that people have towards this one.

The pacing is incredibly slow, almost static. It pretends to be interesting by using human characters that are struggling through mental health, and I think people are projecting onto it much more than what the movie actually has. But stories require characters development (we know next to nothing about Callum's past, we also know next to nothing about adult Sophie other than the fact that she is a lesbian and has a newborn child, so I couldn’t connect emotionally to them or their relationship), or at the very least a fresh perspective or poignant commentary, none of which is here in this predictable and aimless movie. It felt like one of the stories you skip over when you're just trying to get to a recipe for chicken soup.

I really understand what's the meaning (adult Sophie reflecting on 30 year old dad and 11 year old Sophie on summer holiday and all of the emotions that could entail), but it didn't worked for me how I thought would be. I don't mind a film where nothing happens, but honestly nothing happens, this was a slow burn with no direction and no revelation. The movie doesn't want to entertain you. It's equivalent to watching someone's vacation slideshow and then expecting you to feel what they felt.

The last shot, however, was stunning but it wasn't enough to redeem the film for me. I'm not arguing that this is a bad movie, and I'm in the minority, so clearly I missed something but it is what it is. People with daddy issues will love this film though.