I Don’t Feel at Home in This
World Anymore (2017)
Film Review
By the Geezer of Oz
“When a depressed woman is burglarized, she finds a new sense of purpose by tracking down the thieves alongside her obnoxious neighbor. But they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals.” (IMDb)
This little gem, directed by actor-writer Macon Blair, is a strange and wonderful surprise in today’s cinematic landscape. It is great to see what Blair can do from behind the camera, being a twenty-plus years acting veteran. Blair has come to our attention and mainly become known to a wider public in recent years after being a regular in director Jeremy Saulnier‘s (Green Room) films, with an especially commendable performance in 2013’s Blue Ruin. Blair‘s directorial debut is a breath of fresh air when compared to today’s CGI-heavy Hollywood blockbusters.
The storyline is somewhat basic, yet unexpected. You might find yourself pausing for a moment, somewhere halfway through the film, and wonder ‘how the hell did we get here?’ The film’s overall message touches on many areas, from loneliness, undesired adulthood status, friendship and family, but above all, it is about the utter despair some of us may feel when facing the inevitable decay of society and the downward slide of the world around us toward an unknown end.
Melanie Lynskey (Ruth) is always a marvel to watch and this performance is one of her best as she tackles a rare starring role. Her greatness is exemplified in the way she can say so much with just the look on her face and the use of her eyes. I find her to be one of the most underrated actresses we have today. Elijah Wood (Tony) is highly likeable in another oddball role he executes to near perfection. Devon Graye (as Christian) and David Yow (Marshall) are also excellent in the roles of two degenerate criminals set out to earn their ‘pay day’, but Jane Levy, playing their ‘associate’ Dez, was the standout amongst this gang of criminals in my opinion. In addition, Macon Blair himself has a small, but important enough role, which is sure to annoy the viewer just enough to be remembered.
This film is dramatic, scary, philosophical and with just enough action to interest most viewers. While not entirely near perfect, it is still different and original enough, which scores a lot of points in my book. Thoroughly enjoyable and just thought-provoking enough.
A great directorial debut. 7.5/10.
