After Hours

i'm not normally the type to write long reviews on here but i feel deeply compelled to as the credits are rolling. after hours is the most compelling, satisfying, stressfully chaotic story i've seen in a long time. presenting itself like a cynical american fairy tale, this film takes you deep into the psyche of the guy you would never invite to a party. paul hackett is an absolute loser, the human form of a kicked puppy, yet it's hard to look away as he whines and moans his way through a terrible trip in wonderland, usa. every time paul runs into a blonde woman, you think "surely he won't fuck things up this time right?" and you would be wrong every time. watching this sardonic, sleep-deprived mess bumble through soho is a hilarious nightmare like no other. i loved every second of the film and once i thought i knew how it would end, there was another 45 minutes left. this movie felt like an eternity but not in a bad way, rather that i feel i have lived paul's whole life in the span of a night. there's something so pathetically primal about how paul tries EVERYTHING he can only to get kicked down again. there are so many layers to this story that i won't even attempt to understand yet. this is a story that is BEGGING you to rewatch it. thelma schoonmaker's editing really sells the nightmarish qualities of this story, as everything is presented chronologically yet you feel this inescapable sense of deja vu. joseph minion's script keeps you enchanted as the residents of this strange subsect of soho ask questions you couldn't even begin to answer, leaving you just as befuddled as paul is the entire runtime. of course, scorsese did what scorsese does and blew me away with some of the best direction i have ever seen. i can't stop thinking about this movie and i am beyond excited to watch it again and again. this is my new favorite movie of all time.