Serenity movie review: Should you ignore the reviews and see it?
Serenity has horrible reviews from both critics and viewers alike, but is it really as bad as the reviews make it seem?
I read a description for Serenity back in October of last year and, based on the cast and the crime thriller basis, I decided that I’d do a review for the film. Fast-forward 3 months and I hadn’t thought too much about the film since October. I didn’t watch any trailers and I completely forgot what it was about.
I went in blind and I believe this is why I didn’t hate the movie as much as most viewers seemed to.
The premise
The main description for Serenity essentially tries to sell the film on the idea that Matthew McConaughey is playing a mysterious fisherman whose ex-wife, played by Anne Hathaway, tracks him down to kill her abusive husband.
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The trailer hints that there is more to it but other than that, they don’t truly prepare you for what the movie is really about. Honestly, I feel like this was the right idea but also could lead to the actual story completely losing some viewers. If you go in expecting a straightforward thriller with great acting then Serenity will completely lose you.
Myself, going in with absolutely no expectations, I was caught completely off guard in the opposite way. Early in the movie I was thinking that the plot was weak, the acting was disappointing, and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it through the movie. Then, as clues started to reveal themselves, I found myself drawn into trying to figure out what was going on. Even after you start to get the idea you don’t fully understand until the end, and the reveal itself was executed well enough.
Serenity definitely requires a viewer coming in with a very open mind.
How could the reception have been avoided?
Often in these situations I try to put myself into the role of a studio executive or someone else in the decision-making process for the film. I think that Serenity’s problem is two-fold.
First, it markets itself as a serious thriller and the cast and trailer play into that idea. Then it’s rated R, complete with blood, sex, and language which, again, makes it seem like a movie intended for the serious crime-thriller movie-goers. Those viewers are not going to like this movie.
I would argue that this film should have been toned down and targeted a PG-13 fantasy audience based on its actual premise. An audience that is more open-minded and takes itself less seriously will be more likely to appreciate the premise. The movie ends up being serious, yes, but also has a juvenile angle. That’s the best way I can describe it without ruining the movie, but it is this juvenile angle that ruins the movie for most people.
Should I see it or not?
I would not put my name on the line to say ignore the reviews. However, my goal is to help you decide if you should bother watching. Serenity is a sentimental story at its core, and if you can accept the idea behind the story, it will hit you in your feelings. Most people who didn’t like the movie simply didn’t like the execution of the premise though, for me, all of the things that I found to be weaknesses early in the film made more sense after the underlying idea is exposed.
The movie asks you to both appreciate the idea as well as accept the things you’ll likely hated in the first half of the movie based on their relationship to the idea. This is a lot to ask of most viewers. While I personally can appreciate both, I understand why most didn’t.
I won’t say the movie is complete trash, but it is definitely one that is only going to be enjoyable to a certain type of viewer, which is not what they were going for.
Serenity is currently playing in theaters.