What Is the Story About?
Angela Childs is a tech worker in Seattle. It is Covid-19 pandemic times and she has holed her inside her apartment leading to phobias.
What happens when Angela as part of her work discovers a domestic abuse stream recording? What was the response from higher authority and how it end is the first movie’s overall premise.
Performances?
Zoe Kravitz is natural as a person who has developed a phobia of the outside world due to lockdown in Covid-19 times. The anxiety and restlessness while trying to go out are believably portrayed.
The uneasiness when Angela has to finally go out due to an extraordinary situation and the subsequent fight back are all naturally done. There is no exaggeration in emotions, all the while maintaining intensity.
Analysis
Steven Soderbergh directs the tech thriller, Kimi. The technology aspect combined with the covid-19 times is what makes the story exciting in the first place.
Soderbergh without wasting any time jumps to the core technology theme at the start. It is important to not miss it, to understand the gravity of the situation of what follows next.
The same seriousness of the situation is established neatly from the human angle when Angela is unable to get out of the apartment to meet a person. That she is then forced to move out after hearing the device’s recording establishes further the characterisation and severity of the crisis.
In fact, the entire narrative is built on the ‘crisis’ of the modern-day via technology. How Angela survives becomes the mainstay of the proceedings.
The take-off of the movie feels like an ode to Brian De Palma’s Blow Out. It is when Angela hears the recording and decides to report it to higher officials that the narrative picks up.
What follows next is the greedy corporates trying to silence the voice (that could cause severe damage) tale. It would have been a routine film in that case. That’s where the pandemic and Angela’s behaviour related to it brings the difference.
Soderbergh mixes the technology and pandemic cleverly in the narrative to provide the thrills. It works all the way until the end.
There are no big subplots here. Kimi has a lean narrative where it is all about survival and getting to the police. Both aspects are sharply blended without too much deviation or technical mumbo jumbo.
The ending is neatly done using the world built by the director. It gives a satisfactory feeling of watching simple yet taut thrillers that don’t overstay their welcome.
Overall, Kimi is a straightforward and uncomplicated tech thriller that is short and crisp. Some parts drag in between, but it ends well. If you like thrillers give Kimi a try.
Other Artists?
The artists are limited in the movie, but even within a short time effort is made to imprint their characters. It wouldn’t be possible for a thriller to work if there isn’t a strong challenge. It is a credit to the writing that it works out that way even with the confined and restricted presence of the other parts.
Music and Other Departments?
The background score by Cliff Martinez is good. It goes well with the mood and enhances the appeal. Peter Andrews cinematography is alright. There is no experimentation visually and frames are kept simple and basic. Mary Ann Bernard’s editing gives a crisp feeling to the proceedings. The writing is good even if it’s not much.
Highlights?
Story
Background
Crisp Editing
Drawbacks?
Beginning
Some Dragging Parts
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Kimi Movie Review by Binged Bureau