Don’t believe the lies… I’m gonna try to be vague in this review, but the main take-away is that this isn’t horror, it’s science fiction. A particular brand of sci-fi that includes being a mystery thriller… but only tangentially/vaguely/conceptually horror.

It’s set in Caddo Lake, Texas and follows parallel storylines of a young man shattered by the death of his mother and a teenage girl searching for her missing sister. Strange things are afoot in this swampy landscape as events get weird and uncertain.

If I’d known what genre this movie actually was, I’d have followed its twisty paths from the start better. But I didn’t, thinking we were in a more average horror film. Once I realized what it was, I decided to power on and try to remember the clues from earlier in the film. I didn’t do a very good job of this and wound up lost in the details.

But I was able to untangle enough of the mystery to have reasonable confidence I was following it. So my best recommendation – without going into spoilers – is to pay attention to all the details because this is a twisty mystery that will reward careful observation… or a rewatch. A rewatch I’m gonna have to do to confirm my understanding of what they hey is going on (or maybe a handy-dandy YouTube explainer).

The movie looks fantastic and the script is smart and twisty. When it needs to signal changes in the narrative, it manages through great sound editing and lighting. The acting is good all the way around but special kudos to Eliza Scanlen for carrying most of the movie on her back (and Dylan O’Brien for doing some of the heavy lifting too).

And that’s all I’m gonna say about that. It’s too intriguing to spoil and I recommend watching it blind (but prepared).

Score: 86