MovieChat Forums > The Snare (2017) Discussion > Poor characterization ruined the premis...

Poor characterization ruined the premise

posted 8 years ago by wdpnow
8 replies | jump to latest

(SPOILERS)

Lizzy and her boyfriend Carl go away for the weekend to an isolated, abandoned apartment and take along their creepy, emotionally isolated friend, Alice.

Yeah, why would they, right? And Carl is a horrible lecherous guy that says really filthy things ALL the time and plays a disgusting game of "Would you rather?"

Lizzy seems totally unaware of Alice's catatonic state.

The three of them are a MESS and they are the problem with this film.

The film has a a good, creepy vibe at times, like Rob Zombie's LORDS OF SALEM. And when they find the elevator doesn't work, the stairwell is locked, their phones and TV are unreceptive and they are running out of food and the water is turned off, it could be interesting. However, they do nothing to get rescued.

They could try to set off a fire alarm. They could put S.O.S. in the windows or on the roof. They could flash lights from the window--they aren't THAT isolated.

Instead, we are treated to scenes of their food rotting, Carl for some reason raping both of the women (is the "presence" making him do it, and if so why, and why does he first have to vomit on one of the women?), Alice continues to have visions and freak out, and...and...and...

Oh yeah, sexual abuse, too. It just becomes a mish mash of visual and mental horrors. My main problem is that NONE of the characters acts "normal" so you don't care for them and why, for the life of me, was Alice so crazy from the BEGINNING??? You'd never take someone like that away for a "party weekend."

[–] supadude2004 8 years ago

{spoilers}

But you're forgetting something else which ruined this movie: common sense (...or lack thereof)!

It is not lawful to have a building anywhere in the UK which has a lift, yet which does not also have not only a staircase to every floor first, but a clearly marked one too. Without a fire escape there would be no lift in other words. That is arguably the most ridiculous failing of this movie - that its audience has to suffer the ridiculously unbelievable premiss, that people could somehow be trapped anywhere on the top floor of ANY UK building - owing to a lift failure, while the building also does not also have an easy way to get down - should that lift fail.

While people may go on for years debating whether the chicken or the egg came first. There is not, and nor should there be, debate as to whether ANY UK building MUST have a staircase *beforehand* - to confirm to both building and fire regs - and only then would a lift be even permitted to be installed!

Dumb dumb dumb.

Another issue is indeed to do with characterization: why on earth would the two love birds take away let alone befriend a woman who appears at all times to be in a semi catatonic/vegetative state! They would have had more fun surely had they taken away last Xmas's turkey with them - instead of her.

This movie deserves to be committed to a score of 3/10.

Lastly, props must, at the very least, go to the cinematographer whose amazing skills were most obviously wasted on what was otherwise such an abysmal movie! In other words, some of the landscape shots could not have been filmed any better, and the man deserves to go far in the industry for that great talent alone. His shooting talent let's hope will be put to better use in another movie.

Albeit, all things considered, this movie's screenplay really ought to have landed in the nearest bin, before it got anywhere near production.

-
Sandwiched between The Principle of Mediocrity & Rare Earth Theory, you should see The Fermi Paradox

[–] wdpnow 8 years ago

Good point about the impossibility of being trapped on the top floor; something they should have added to their list of things to "fix" but I'm glad we both agree that the catatonic state of the one women is the "real" issue here---and yes, a Christmas turkey WOULD have been more fun to take along!

[–] marcwiechmann 8 years ago

"Yeah, why would they, right? "

I think the plan was to have a threesome, but Alice does not want to.

"and why does he first have to vomit on one of the women?)"

No fluids anywhere. He tries to get some.

" It just becomes a mish mash of visual and mental horrors"

That is, if I got it right, what the movie wanted to achieve.

"It is not lawful to have a building anywhere in the UK which has a lift, "

Close. But there are indeed penthouses, that you can only get to by an elevator. The house didnt seem that luxurious, but that would be a possible explanation.

" we both agree that the catatonic state of the one women is the "real" issue here-"

That makes the two of you. From my point of view, Alice's friend was not aware of her mental state - something that probably fits to anybody of us, we don't always know how people around us are feeling. But that she was pictured an mentally ill, was part of the game - director wanted us to doubt either if there is an evil presence of if Alice is flatout *beep* crazy.

I had my issues with the movie too, although I liked overall, but come on...dont be too harsh, dudes :)

[–] laymonite-2 8 years ago

Weren't the women sisters? Or did I misunderstand that bit?

[–] marcwiechmann 8 years ago

I don't think so. Either I did really miss that in the movie or it was not made clear, but I am pretty sure they were just friends. I think they wanted to go for a threesome - the scene in the living room, when the blonde girl literally pushes her panties in Alice's face? Also Alice is obviously interested in the dude. I may be wrong of course, but I did not see any sibling hints :-)

[–] belizcik 8 years ago

I think there was a door to a staircase which they desperately tried to open but couldn't.

"revenge is a dish best served cold"

[–] MadRotaryOne_DDCgod 8 years ago

You must be a guy.

Women take their third wheel friends with them all the time.
It's stated that they are like sisters. So rather she wanted
to just cheer her friend up, or they had planned a vacation
and then the guy was invited later, who cares. This happens
all the time and is not in the least unrealistic.

About the stairs, there is a staircase that they can't open.
But regardless, penthouses don't have to have stairs. Many
penthouses have only elevator access.

[–] belizcik 8 years ago

great summary!

"revenge is a dish best served cold"