Thoroughbreds (2017)

Thoroughbreds is a dark comedy-thriller written and directed by Cory Finley; it is also his directorial debut, which is astounding, considering how slick and modern it looks. Set in modern-day suburbia Americana, the film focuses on two reunited childhood friends — Amanda and Lily, played by Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy. Amanda is a no-bullshit rebel, whose stone-cold attitude makes her a likely sociopath, as well as a consistent winner of online poker games. Lily, with her posh equine movement and fake politeness of a newly rich teenager, is the exact opposite — except she isn’t. And so, the two develop a harmonious friendship (and a devious criminal plan) as soon as Lily’s aristocratic shell becomes dissolved by Amanda’s perpetual psychoanalysis.

This film, regardless of its thematic and narratological issues, is one of the most original and enjoyable pictures to come out this year, and I am certain that it will stay in the top 10 by December. It is eerie and suspenseful, yet, at times, incredibly funny thanks to its deadpan Lanthimos-like dialogue. With Lyle Vincent’s terrific cinematography, it is also well-shot, making the audience intoxicated with the long shots that follow the characters through the crepuscular hallways and staircases of the kitsch mansion where most of the film takes place. There is also what I consider to be the best soundtrack of the year (so far) — a collection of daunting strings and drums composed by Erik Friedlander and undoubtedly inspired by films like The Witch and The Lobster.

Where it falls through (although, I must say, not awfully so, given how much room for interpretation the audience is given by the time the final credits roll) is in the script. There seems to be a thematic build-up in Thoroughbreds, something that strives to discuss class, trauma, and mental health, that never manages to transform into a coherent statement.

Spoiler territory. The juxtaposition of emotionless characters certainly works, because the audience cannot possibly fail to notice the difference between the girls’ backgrounds: while Amanda is merely anhedonic due to traumatic past, Lily is the true unempathetic sociopath of the story. The ending of the film, then, with Amanda sacrificing her freedom to allow Lily to get away with the murder of her stepfather, seems to suggest that amorality of the rich and the entitled will always prevail over any humane emotion displayed by them, yet this jab at the aristocracy feels a bit naive.

Despite its inconclusive and crumpled thematic undercurrent, Thoroughbreds is an idiosyncratic dark comedy with great performances and an astounding soundtrack. Importantly, it is also an impressive starting point for the newcomer Cory Finley, and I cannot wait to see his next films.