FALSE POSITIVE
John Lee (2021)
3.5 STARS
Production company A24 is at it again, adding this suspenseful thriller to their ever increasing catalogue of independent projects. False Positive doesn’t reach the horrific heights of Hereditary, The Lighthouse, or The Witch, but it’s a solid film with an interesting premise. A premise, in fact, that it shares with one of the greatest films of all time.
The elephant in the room is that this is a modern remake of Rosemary’s Baby, and the simple answer to the question on everybody’s lips is; no, not even close. However, once we put this aside, we’re able to sit back and enjoy the film for what it is, a tense roller coaster of invasion, gas lighting and coercion.
Ilana Glazer, of Broad City hilarity, subverts her usual larger than life comedic style for a subtle, doe-esque fragility. Her character arc does, however, move too slowly, considering the audience has probably already guessed the sinister goings on long before she does.
There are some interesting parallels with the tale of Peter Pan which, explored further, might have added a depth to this film that it unfortunately lacks. On the whole, this was an enjoyable watch that will probably never receive a repeat viewing.