Released: 2018
Starring: Suki Waterhouse, Carly Chaikin, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Melissa Bergland, Isabella Acres, Michelle Haro, Bianca Lopez, Mia Clyburn,
Director: Sophia Takal
Produced by: Blumhouse Productions
Distributed by: Hulu
Rated: TV-MA
“Ring in the new year like it’s your last.”
Once again, welcome back to my review of the Hulu exclusive horror film series, Into the Dark in association with Blumhouse Productions. So far we’ve covered the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas themed feature-length ‘episodes’ and now we are jumping right into number four – New Year’s Eve.
Right off the bat, I thought to myself, ‘This feels like a student art project.’ The way it was filmed, using primitive green screen and editing techniques to bring the ‘YouTube star’ to life, the vibe I was getting from the actresses…it felt much more like an independent film that the others in the series. New Year, New You was directed by Sophia Takal who had heavy involvement with the horror cult favourite V/H/S. I have a decent appreciation for that series, so I was excited to see what she would do.
The plot of New Year, New You was not apparent from the start. Some girls gather for a New Years party and the audience is able to gather through their conversation that they’ve invited one of their high school friends – one who they haven’t seen in a while due to her newfound internet fame as a self-help guru. The friends are an interesting bunch: Alexis (Suki Waterhouse of Love, Rosie and Insurgent) is hosting the party in her parents house – one last hurrah before they sell the place; Chloe (Melissa Bergland of Winners & Losers) – a party girl who talks about her involvement with alcohol and boys; and Kayla (Kirby Howell-Baptiste of The Good Place) – a well-adjusted, mild-mannered girl who seems to be the voice of reason.
Right away, I don’t understand the house. It is a mansion with a pool that keeps being shown in an ominous way. Alexis doesn’t talk about why her parents are selling the place, but it’s clear no one lives there and yet it looks pristine. There are a thousand mirrors. Mirrors everywhere.
In their preparation, they blow up balloons in the shape of ‘2019’ and talk about their friend Danielle (Carly Chaikin of Mr. Robot) and how nice it is that she’s doing so well…but they all seem distinctly bitter about her success. Especially Alexis. Alexis is quiet and seems like a small thing will set her off at any second. She makes me uncomfortable. Also, the balloons they are blowing up cost about $15 a piece. Is it really worth it if they only expect three people in attendance? Don’t know they about the helium shortage?
Danielle arrives with gifts from her self-help line – some stuff to put on your face that smells good – and the girls are thrilled…except Alexis. They all drink, catch up on life, and decide to play drunk truth or dare which leads to Alexis freaking out and accusing Danielle of some things that happened when they were in school.
New Year, New You really caught my attention for a few reasons. The first is that you never really know who the villain is. Just when you have it figured out, it changes. I really didn’t like any of the girls except Kayla, so it was fun to see them all sort of turn on one another throughout the film for different reasons.
The second is that I remember how high school girls could be. I was one. The accuracy with which these girls gossip and manipulate and lie to one another is fantastically scary. It’s very realistic. I did my best to stay away from drama in high school, and Danielle’s tone of voice still freaked me out. This was a really interesting way for them to present conflict to the audience, and the more outlandish course of events seemed more possible because of it.
The dialogue speaks to this. In one scene, one girl is in another’s face, berating her and doing very mean things while the other girl is very calmly telling her how it’s going to be okay and she can learn to love herself. The juxtaposition of the two characters physically, in personality, and in dialogue makes for one heck of an uncomfortable scene and is very well-done.
Rating:
Fool on the Hill:
Overall, I think the writing for New Year, New You was nicely done. The dialogue was entertaining. The actresses were genuine and did a great job. I thought the character of Alexis was a little unnatural – a little over the top – but that absolutely did not stop me from enjoying the film. I liked the ending, and even cheered quietly at the climax of the film. Some of the effects were cheesy, but I understood why they did them. The connection to New Year’s Eve was not forced, and I think it tied in nicely with the ‘social media’ theme. I loved the very last scene and thought it brought the whole idea of the movie around in a perfect, creepy circle. I really enjoyed it, but I think watching it once was enough for me. Very well done, Blumhouse! Out of the four Into the Dark films I’ve seen, I’ve been very happy with three so far. I’m looking forward to the next one!
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