It’s a brutal film. Bleak, heavy, and filled with characters making the worst possible decisions over and over again. There’s no “good” person in this story. Just people who are broken in different ways, and watching them unravel is both fascinating and deeply painful.
Philip Seymour Hoffman is absolutely incredible here. His performance is so raw and self-destructive. It’s hard to watch at times because it feels too real. Knowing what happened to him just seven years later makes it even more haunting. There’s a desperation in his eyes throughout this movie that lingers long after it’s over. It’s eerie, and honestly, kind of heartbreaking.
Ethan Hawke is great too. His character is weaker, maybe more pathetic than evil, but he still contributes to this downward spiral that feels impossible to stop. Every scene with him just builds this slow, sinking feeling that nothing is going to end well. And it doesn’t.
It’s one of those movies that makes you feel like you need to take a walk afterward. Devastating and beautifully acted. Not something I’ll revisit often, but one I won’t forget.
