Remarkably well paced thriller that ends up only skimming the surface of the seedy underworld it portrays, George c Scott kills, Peter Boyle fucking kills, it’s an iconic set up, and his loss of innocence is lent a wonderful depth by the writing, the explanation of Calvinism and its bleak determinism beautifully articulated, gives insight into schraders relationship with his own upbringing and his family, destroying the illusion of being chosen, being protected, the idea that such strict belief systems…

Iguana vision, sometimes Werner Herzog's films seem like live theater at a new age or survivalist cult, like I just happened upon footage of a reenactment, not a stylization, this is like that, everything is so stiff, everything is so 70s art house, so strange filtered through the camera lens of 21st century, the part where he makes him shoot the dead body cuz his “soul is dancing”, alligator vision with fairuza balk, nic cage, man he’s really going for…

This was balls. I see a lot of people saying this is self-aware? I’m sorry I can only believe that up to a point, and that point for trap was well within the first five minutes, insanely wooden performances, lifeless, static shot composition, there’s almost something really beautiful about his big budget amatuerism, beautiful document of the fake world, cages filled with screens, his daughters bland simulacra pop, insane concert film where attention is more drawn to monolithic LED screens…