A.V. Club
(A) slick and thrilling take on the intersection of mental illness and creative inspiration.
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Daniel Isn't Real
A troubled uni student (Miles Robbins, Halloween) resurrects a childhood imaginary friend to help him cope after a family trauma in this horror-thriller. Initially the charismatic, imaginary Daniel helps Luke to achieve his dreams, but eventually he has him fighting desperately for his own soul.
2019Rating: R16, Violence, offensive language, drug use, sex scenes & content that may disturb96 minsUSA
HorrorThriller
- Director:
- Adam Egypt Mortimer ('Some Kind of Hate')
- Writer:
- Brian DeLeeuwAdam Egypt Mortimer
- Cast:
- Miles RobbinsPatrick SchwarzeneggerSasha LaneHannah MarksMary Stuart MastersonFaith LoganJacqueline HonulikKatie Chang
Daniel Isn't Real | Reviews
84%82 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
All reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
RogerEbert.com
There's not much to Daniel Isn't Real beyond a cynical, generic coming-of-age story...
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The Irish Times
A novel convergence of mental health issues, toxic masculinity and occultish vibes.
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Slant Magazine
Its performatively extreme imagery thinly masks a rather banal view of male subjectivity and inner conflict.
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Hollywood Reporter
Although it eventually settles into familiar genre tropes, for much of its running time Daniel Isn't Real proves a genuinely provocative shocker.
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The New York Times
What starts as a mediocre psychological thriller finishes as a surprisingly toothsome and creative horror film, complete with creature features and journeys into the abyss.
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Los Angeles Times
Pitched somewhere between "Fight Club" and a Clive Barker creature feature, "Daniel Isn't Real" is a wild ride worth taking to be in the company of its promising young stars.
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Bloody Disgusting
A near-perfect combination of body horror, cosmic horror and psychological horror that gets under your skin while also finding its way into your heart.
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Variety
Spectrevision's stylishly crafted psychological horror thriller has enough twists and finesse to attract favorable attention beyond genre bounds, signaling upbeat prospects for exposure in various formats.
Full reviewDaniel Isn't Real | Release Details
Daniel Isn't Real is available to stream in New Zealand now on Google Play and Apple TV.