Domino (Brian De Palma, 2019)

It's a mess alright. Plagued with finance problems, it makes for a swift but convoluted ride. It looks incredibly cheap. (Can someone explain to me why it always seems to be dusk in the film? Color correction?) And it ends terribly with a trite critique of "our" predilection for seeing horrifying violence, a desire De Palma stokes by showing us...horrifying violence. But you know what? It has the grungy, late-night feel of 1990s cable fodder. A week after seeing it, you'll wonder if it's a dream you had rather than a film you saw. That's why I don't mind its incompleteness. Makes for one of those broken cognitive experiences I cherish so. And for the De Palma stans, several trademark set pieces remain including a fun, over-the-top climax involving a drone. At 89 minutes (!) with seven minutes of closing credits (!), it may be infuriating but it's definitely not boring.

Grade: A-minus