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
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.
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