Thoroughbreds | Film Review

Simply put, Thoroughbreds is an indie art piece film that unravels the good and evil that lies within us all, in a drastic and perpetually beautiful way.

Lily and Amanda are childhood friends who are brought back together after a whirlwind of their own mistakes and tribulations in life. Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) is the upscale intellectual who hides many secrets, while Amanda (Olivia Cooke) is the sarcastic, apathetic, and quick witted one whose mistakes are on display for the town to see, without context of course.

Both Taylor-Joy and  Cooke deliver incredible, deeply layered performances, each consistently grabbing your attention as they tussle back-and-forth for screen time. While these two were the primary on screen characters, it would be faulty not to mention Anton Yelchin’s final performance. Yelchin was an actor that showed tremendous potential and immediately captivated audiences. Able to play a myriad of roles, this was no exception to his extensive catalog. Yelchin played a questionable man, but the beauty of his performance was anything but. He leveled the film with his delivery of dialogue and laughable antics, elevating the work as a whole in his wake.

Speaking of dialogue, Thoroughbreds does an excellent job with one-liners and shorter monologues. Amanda (Cooke) initially seems to take the cake with this, as she makes you laugh, but Lily (Taylor-Joy) ends up changing as it moves along. At times, it almost feels like Amanda is the inner monologue of a teen girl and Lily is the outwardly dramatic teen we’d all expect.

This wouldn’t be a successful indie flick without a compelling story, though. It feels simplistic on the surface but it becomes diabolical by the conclusion. With notable directorial choices, like the placement of obscure music and sound effects, we’re taken on a weird journey of emotions; not entirely sure of what we’re feeling or what the hell is going on. It leads with a slow introduction and moves into a shocking revelation that will leave you with your jaw dropped and your eyebrows raised. The talented cast and crew genuinely made Thoroughbreds work all around; it’s worth a theater viewing and it will be worthy of a home purchase.

A film like Thoroughbreds relies not on incredible set pieces, but on the story, dialogue and performances. The combination of screenplay, directorial choices, and casting are all above par, and the shock will leave you wondering how you didn’t see this coming the entire time. If you want to work your way into fresh independent flicks, Thoroughbreds is sure to shake your stable.