Spring

Drafthouse Films | Release Date: March 20, 2015

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 68 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

DRauchDoes2015Apr 19, 2015

Spring comes unheralded as a horror film, disregarding notions of genre absolutes by being pleasurable in equal measure as a romance. Lesser films may consider themselves more a subversion than they really are, often half-heartedly embracingSpring comes unheralded as a horror film, disregarding notions of genre absolutes by being pleasurable in equal measure as a romance. Lesser films may consider themselves more a subversion than they really are, often half-heartedly embracing the genres of comedy, action, western, etc. as a niche meant to propel the end product beyond normalcy. Spring's mashup of stylistic influence is, though not without it's faults, at least genuine in it's appreciation for the dual genres it takes on. It is a film that could be mistaken first as a romance with a supernatural twist, rather than the reverse, and that lends it some emotional heft often bereft in scary movies.

Spring follows Evan, an American who has lost his mother and his job in the same week and, pressured by police pursuit, travels to Italy until things simmer down back home. There, he meets an enticing girl named Louise, whom he has several flirtatious encounters with before the two have sex. Afterwards, she, though interested in Evan, is standoffish about continuing their relationship. The two have a falling out, yet Evan is persistent, believing himself to be in love with her. He uncovers a jarring, horrible secret she has kept from him the entire time: she is a half-monster immortal of sorts.

Spring then becomes in its third act, a completely different, more fulfilled movie. It plays out like a supernatural entry in the 'Before' franchise (Before Spring?) once Evan finds out the two have one day left before she is reborn into another version of herself and loses half her memories of him. Though constraints of time and circumstantial bad luck are tropes common in romances, Spring has the same urgency to connect in spite of cosmic misfortune as Linklater's masterful trilogy.

This is a feat brought to fruition by the chemistry and likability of the two leads. Their dynamic feels emotionally honest, their dialogue denied venturing into cliched artifice. Pucci and Hilker interact in casual, unforced sparring matches, trading flirtatious banter that, while intermittently cheesy, never feel insincere. Their conversations frequently touch on subjects that are actually interesting and often existential.

The preceding section of the film, before Evan uncovers Louise's secret, is a directionless hour-long exposition, though not an unbearable one. The mandatory dispersion of hints building to the reveal of Louise's true monstrous nature feel contrived, one of the habitual obligations kept in honor of Spring's horror roots. In the meantime, as Evan bides his time working as a farmer and traversing many of Italy's most idyllic locales, we are treated with heavily saturated, dreamy cinematography and a lulling trance score from Jimmy Lavalle. Oddly, though, the looming awareness of a distant violence doesn't break, even in the most scenic passages. The eventfulness of the final act of Spring, however, can't help but cast a shadow over the previous hour, one that renders it a comparatively dull, conflict-stripped watch.

The design for the predatory form Louise takes on is worth note - she is a pretty disgusting and unique movie monster for such an enticing figure as hers. However, where she feels truly distinct in a pantheon of other villainous cryptozoological entities is her place in the real world, one governed by scientific laws devoid of cryptic pseudo-logical explanations. Louise denounces herself to be some creature of myth. Rather, providing an understanding of assorted biological knowledge, asserts herself as a single-instance of abnormality that science has yet to explain. It's a nice touch, a creature whose existence is unexplained, yet one that doesn't provide otherworldly origin stories over something based in reality.

The conclusion of Spring, much like Benson's fantastic debut from 2013, Resolution (one of my favorite modern horror movies), is fleet and ambiguous, yet satisfying. We are left with an iconic shot, one filled with an equal dosage of dread and hopefulness. It is subtle and devastating, almost moving. The volcanic eruption encompasses all of the frenetic romantic impulses our hero endures for this woman he refuses to see forget him, even if it results in a hyperbolic, ultraviolent death. Though it is a bit over-the-top, it is my favorite moment in Spring, one that I think is enjoyable even out of the context of the movie, a mini-cinematic-universe in itself.

Though I deem Resolution more ingenious and ambitiously executed, Spring is a VERY good follow up, and it could be argued that it contains more resonance and poignancy than it's stylistic predecessor. It's an uncommonly thoughtful, genuine story, one that propels Benson and Moorhead to prominent figures in the new wave of horror-revivalists. I hope that the duo can maintain the consistency of greatness I've seen from them so far and craft a true masterpiece of the genre. Though Spring falls short of that pedigree, it's damn good, and legitimately scary to boot.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

tasslehoff69Sep 22, 2018

Lots of potential, but overall disappointing. Too slow, and I did not like the ending.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

BITESCREENJun 22, 2017

Nach dem Krebstod der Mutter und dem Verlust seines Jobs hält den jungen Evan nichts mehr im stressigen Los-Angeles – im nächsten Flieger geht es an die italienische Küste. Britische Buddies und die meditative Arbeit auf einem Gutshof lenkenNach dem Krebstod der Mutter und dem Verlust seines Jobs hält den jungen Evan nichts mehr im stressigen Los-Angeles – im nächsten Flieger geht es an die italienische Küste. Britische Buddies und die meditative Arbeit auf einem Gutshof lenken den Trauernden schnell ab – vor allem aber die Romanze mit der bildschönen Louise. Doch je näher man sich kommt, desto mysteriöser wird die Fremde: Warum flieht sie spontan vom Essen? Was hat die Spritze im Bad zu bedeuten? Und warum säumen kopflose Tierkadaver die Straßen der Stadt? Spring – Love is a Monster ist zu großen Teilen eine sensibel und technisch einwandfrei gefilmte, aber ziemlich substanzlose Urlaubsromanze, die mit aufdringlicher Frucht- und Tiersymbolik ihr Unheil ankündigt: Für kurze, starke Momente wird Justin Bensons und Aaron Moorheads Fantasy-Filmfest-Hit dann zum faszinierenden, schleimigen, teils interpretationsoffenen Cronenberg-Horror. Das große Ganze jedoch ist ein über 90 Minuten langer Dauerflirt zweier sich null entwickelnden Figuren.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017

Strange, even somewhat bizarre, this film seems to be an artifice like Twilight but in a more horrifying way and with humorous winks, it's a respectable job, but I doubt it connects with a majority audience.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews