Where I Watched it: Hulu
English Audio Description?: Yes
The Mill is one of those films you really should go into with as little actual knowledge of the film as possible. So, carefully sidestepping through this, I’ll offer you some reasons to check this out. The first has to be Lil Rel Howrey, who has spent the majority of his career pumping up comedic performances, but here is expected to play a relatable Everyman in what could be described as a pressure cooker thriller.
There is no backstory given in The Mill, but you just are told what the script wants you to know at any given time. The protagonist doesn’t know what’s going on, so why should you? Slowly, more and more information is revealed, you learn more about this guy who dominates the screen, and you become more aware of the dire circumstance. While the movie never strikes that horror movie chord early, there’s a pervasive sense of dread that never goes away, suggesting that with little to no notice it could all start to go horribly wrong. And fast.
The Mill moves well, and does work well with its lead performance. Why this isn’t one of my very best films of the year, is the moment when the movie is over, and you get to evaluate all those little things that happened, one by one. Since this is a script that lives in the cleverness of revealing pieces of information along the way, the question is did it all make sense given what you know at the end?
For me personally, I wouldn’t have ended the film where they chose. I think this is a movie that goes on for a few minutes too long, and the decision to offer concise closure was misguided.
On the audio description front, there’s not much to say. It’s good audio description for a film that spends an overwhelming majority with one person trapped in one room. There’s only just so much you can diversify that description, and after a little while, the home of our main character has been fully described due to the minimalist approach in this dystopian nightmare.
Sadly, as a film that goes straight to Hulu, it goes there to die. I was impressed overall, and would recommend this film, especially to those who really love the limited cast and limited location films like Locke or buried.
Final Grade: B+
