directed by:
Metecan Duren written by: Metecan Duren genre: Horror |
I’ve always said that being polarizing isn’t just a good thing; it’s a great thing - it’s indifference that you want to avoid at all costs. I don’t usually read the comment sections on movies posted online, but before I clicked play on “Pretty,” I briefly scanned what people had to say and discovered that this particular film was generating quite a bit of buzz for a variety of reasons. Much of what people had to say was positive, but a notable number of watchers expressed their disapproval. For some, that’s enough to stop them from watching. For me, debate only increases my intrigue.
So…let’s be clear about a few things right off the bat here. First of all, Writer/Director, even Soundtrack Composer Metecan Duren is, according to his official page at IMDB, only nineteen years old. By the time I was nineteen, my complete list of credits included successfully putting pants on in the morning and not a heck of a lot more, so make no mistake, I think the fact that he’s made an entire feature film this early in life is remarkable. It’s very clear that “Pretty” is made on a shoestring budget from what you’ll see in the opening scenes, but in my opinion, that only makes Duren deserve more praise for his perseverance. Obviously, the fact that there are some massive movies being made by younger filmmakers as of late is a positive for him, and folks around the globe have finally begun to open their minds to a whole new generation of ideas. It didn’t take long at all for us viewers to see that Metecan has true visionary potential by the way that he chose to film the scenes of “Pretty,” and we can only imagine what he’d be able to do with a large-scale budget with all that he’s accomplished already in making this with a smaller one. He’s wisely steered clear of using crappy effects that wouldn’t work, often opting to dive into a set of more realistic fears we all share by shrouding scenes and characters firmly within the dark - and raising the tension in his movie through the use of strange noises along the way. Sound, lighting, and clever choices being made in terms of how “Pretty” is being shot scene for scene are Duren’s biggest assets. While there are many commendable aspects to how Metecan has made “Pretty,” it is also far from free of criticism. Even the most objective of watchers would have to question a whole lot of the acting along the way. The dialogue can often feel stiff or staggered when it’s delivered. The story itself becomes tougher to get into as a result, not just because of intentionally disconnected scenes, but largely due to the fluidity & pace you’re accustomed to seeing in a movie being fairly absent. When you combine these things with an overall look that is very close to what you’d see in a student film, “Pretty” unfortunately ends up stacking the odds against itself being watched in a variety of ways. Even one of the characters is a ghost that you don’t see, as in, just a voice…which is admittedly a smart way of doing that in the context of budget limitations, but also tough to get into when you’re looking to be shown things in a movie, more than being read to like a story. I basically feel the same way about the series of lengthy back-and-forth text messages we end up reading onscreen - I’m here to watch a movie; I’m not here to sit and wait for someone to respond on a cell phone - or watch people correct their spelling mistakes as they message each other. Sometimes this kind of stuff can be effective; sometimes it can be a crutch. I’m always going to be the guy who advocates for more to be shown than is told to us. To further the point, have you ever read someone else’s text messages? None of us should have to go through that kind of punishment. Most of our dialogue as human beings is unreadable drivel, so the more accurate you become with including that, the worse it is for us as watchers in the context of a film. There are also bizarre technological complexities that creep in at times too - like when you see Pretty texting with a mysterious person, and she writes: “We’ve had a family emergency today, I don’t think tonight’s the right time,” push send, and have her iPhone inform us that the message was seen nineteen hours ago. How the heck is that possible? Keep in mind that these texting scenes are usually completely silent as well, which can lull the audience to sleep if you’re not careful. I’m seeing a whole lot of extraneous stuff that could have been cut out of a two-hour movie in order to tighten it up, but you tend to expect that in the early work of new filmmakers. Like, you’re going to find there is a lot of lingering on characters and locations that feels too long, if not straight up unwarranted, with respect for how long we need to look at things that don’t directly affect the story. Rule of thumb: If it doesn’t progress the story, cut it out. Towards the end, you’ll see Duren grab a lot of reaction shots where there is basically no reaction at all…so we’re kinda just looking at faces, and there’s no real functional need for that stuff.
In terms of the idea itself…I dunno…I’m a little split on it all, I guess. On the positive side of the scenario, I do think that Metecan has managed to create some significant scares in this Horror film, which is no easy task. On the negative side of the scenario - a big ol’ bunny mask? How many times is that going to be used within movies? Long before Metecan got here, this had already been done in countless movies, and it’s harder to argue that what you’re seeing in “Pretty” is as original as it could have potentially been. Some of the film’s stars, like Melisa Kihtir (Pretty) and Saran Duren (Emma), hold their own decently enough, while there are others like Omer Gursoy (Tom) who feel completely out of place in the acting department. By the time you’re finished with Act I, I think there are valid concerns about how many will continue on to Act II. Ultimately, I think where there needed to be more, there was less than we were hoping for, and where there needed to be less, there was too much - but I’d still say there are plenty of reasons to have faith in what Duren can do in the long run. To flash this much competence and potential in the earliest parts of a filmmaking career is rare - he should be absolutely encouraged to continue forward from here. He’s got the fundamentals down; it’s all about the refinement of his skills from here on in. Sharper, more focused storytelling. Being more objective when it comes to the acting and having tough conversations when he needs to have them to ensure the quality of his vision comes to life onscreen as it should. Making sure he’s showing us more than he’s telling us inside of a visual medium. All of this matters, but in the majority of movies we see, the attention to detail comes from an entire lifetime of learning. When it comes to what’s scary, or how to establish suspense, Metecan reveals a ton of promise, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least to find this dude among the next generation of leading filmmakers in a fairly short time. As to whether or not he belongs in that conversation yet…I think he’s still got a ways to go, but I have no doubt whatsoever that just about everyone would wish to have the starting blocks that Duren is working with already. “Pretty” is confirmation that he’ll be able to compete for the attention of the audience out there, even if this particular outing doesn’t quite measure up to the hopes of the hype. In that regard, calling Act III “Apotheosis” seemed like quite a stretch by its literal definition. I’m willing to go with three out of five stars here - Duren has so much room to grow and evolve inside of his craft, even with all the positives he’s got going on for him at the start of his career. With about forty minutes still to go, you’ll probably feel like you’re watching five movies instead of one, because the seemingly endless drag of the pace in “Pretty” makes it appear like a much lengthier watch than it already is at two hours long. The conclusion will tie up enough loose ends, but it’s harder to justify the journey we have to take to get there. Duren’s got the right skillset for filmmaking - now he just needs to refine his talent and learn when to drop footage to the cutting room floor. |
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