Phantom Thread

Textiles, fabric, skin, hair. It's like I could reach into the screen touch, feel and smell everything myself. This film deceivingly hands you an invitingly warm and soft exterior but underneath is laced with something prickly, sharp and cold. There’s a static underneath all the gentleness that constantly makes it feel like something is about to explode; for such a cushiony film I was consistently at the edge of my seat switching between soft smiles and nervous toe tapping. Alma could be taking a bite of toast and it’d feel like she just locked a gun at his head. Reynolds and Alma on paper should not work and every iteration of this type of relationship always is executed with cliches and poorly written character work that never convincingly proves why you should be rooting for their relationship but despite the toxic nature of their dynamic you can’t help but want them together. Sensual, toxic, warm, triggering, arousing, delicate, rigid. Their relationship is so many things.  This is a perfect film to me.