Depravity (2024)

Depravity (2024)

Mmmmmmmmm…
Yes and no!!!

This film is far from bad. Unfortunately for it, it’s far from being a brilliant masterpiece.

The actors (such as Taylor John Smith and Sasha Luss) are quite good. But I think the one who stands out is Victoria Justice. I’d been hearing or seeing her name for a while, but without feeling like I knew her. However, I’ve just realised I’d seen her in The Tutor (2023), a film I quite liked, but whose cast I can’t remember.

Victoria Justice is outstanding in this film! She’s already got plenty of experience under her belt, having been active as a singer and actress since 2003. She made her name thanks to Nickelodeon, an American pay-TV channel and a subdivision of Paramount Skydance’s Paramount Media Networks division. Launched on 1 April 1979 as the first cable channel for very young children, it is aimed primarily at children and teenagers aged 2 to 17, as well as a wider family audience through its programming blocks.

Victoria acted and sang in Victorious alongside one of my favourite artists, Elizabeth Gillies, but let’s not forget that Ariana Grande was also part of the cast. She also directed a thriller TV series on MTV in 2015. There are countless comedies and romantic dramas in which she has appeared. Romantic comedy, psychological drama – Justice has tried her hand at quite a few genres.

It’s always a pleasure to see Dermot Mulroney (the best-known face in the film) and his fabulous charisma, in whatever role. He’s been active since 1986, after all!

I was asked whether, with a title like that, this film was a ‘torture porn’ film. Well… No! Not at all. It’s yet another film about neighbourhood disputes, like The Good Neighbor (2016), which isn’t the same film as The Good Neighbor (2022) starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (which itself is a remake of a 2011 German film).

It’s crazy, there was also Good Neighbor (2001), also known as The Killer Next Door. There’s also The Neighbour (2018), which made an impression on me with William Fichtner. A bit disappointed, as it came close to being a masterpiece but fell just short.

I haven’t seen Neighbor (2009), mind you, nor The Perfect Neighbor (2005), but as you can see, there are loads of films with titles like that. And there’s a whole range of genres, from comedies to horror thrillers and gay romances. There are also the new vampire neighbours, of course, as in Fright Night (1985) and Fright Night 2 (1988).

When it comes to serial killer neighbours, Disturbia (2007) is really good. As for the sexy neighbour, The Girl Next Door (2004) is better entertainment than I imagined. Let’s not forget the major flat-sharing problems, as in Single White Female (1992) – Single White Female 2: The Psycho (2005).

Here’s the story: Following the disappearance of several women, the residents of a neighbourhood live in fear, including the tenants of a block of flats. Alex, the newcomer, wastes no time and suspects one of his neighbours of being a serial killer…

I loved the first half-hour of the film. After that, a character changes and becomes so pathetic that I wondered if it was a joke or if it was still the same film. And after that, it was hard to recover, despite the good moments.

Having co-written several major films in recent years, Paul Tamasy finds himself writing a screenplay and directing a film on his own for the first time. It’s a debut that gets off to a promising start, with an engaging first half featuring characters gripped by paranoia facing a moral dilemma, and undercover scenes where the tension is palpable. I found myself really rooting for these characters at the beginning. However, the director makes the mistake of pushing things too far in a second half that’s far too long and frankly tedious, featuring irritating characters like Sasha Luss, who really overdoes it. I mean, sure, it’s all well and good that she’s also a pretty and sexy Russian-American model… but she’s so annoying and over-the-top here.

Well, the film is relatively original, as it quickly takes a different turn, but I won’t spoil it for you if you want to see it!

The sets are rather nice in this old hotel, which creates a certain atmosphere.

A promising and interesting thriller in the first half. A thriller that tries to do a bit of everything. At first, it feels like it’s going to be a predictable and forgettable film, but in the end, there are some real surprises. Unfortunately, the implausible plot gets rather far-fetched in the second half, which means I can’t give it a very high rating. Still, I did enjoy this film to some extent, though not enough to watch it a second time.

To conclude:

I’ll say it again: if you were expecting something like Saw, this is nothing of the sort!
“Depravity” is a mediocre, overlong film with plenty of twists and quite a few surprises. An entertaining film, nothing more. Once again, we see how money can make people lose their minds.

The ending is debatable. But I’ll say it’s quite nice, even if it could have been even better!

That said, there are some very enthusiastic people who loved it. Here’s one such review:

“A vastly underrated film! I’m surprised to see so many low ratings for such a successful thriller…
You’re never bored for a moment, the actors are brilliant, the twists and turns come thick and fast, making for an entertaining and genuinely enjoyable watch. I honestly recommend it!”