Eli (2019) Movie Review

 

Eli | 2019 | 1h 38m
Genre: Medical Drama/Supernatural Horror/Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller | Country: US
Director: Ciarán Foy | Writers: David Chirchirillo, Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing
Cast: Charlie Shotwell, Kelly Reilly, Max Martini
IMDB: 5.8
My Rate: 7/10

Eli has an Auto-immune Disorder that forces him to live in isolation until his parents take him to be treated at a private institute that promises a cure. However, terror and oddities begin to be felt during his stay there, leading him into a hidden great secret.

Warning:

Contains scenes of violence

 

Synopsis:

Eli (Charlie Shotwell) suffers from Auto-Immune Disorder, where he experiences allergies to many things that force him to live in isolation and even wear protective clothing when going outside. Eli’s parents, Rose (Kelly Reilly) and Paul (Max Martini), spend a lot of money to treat him until they finally find a healing place managed by Dr. Horn (Lili Taylor).

The healing place is in an old building that has been renovated and sterilized by Dr. Horn, so Eli no longer needs to wear his protective suit inside the house. Seeing this, Rose feels there is a chance for Eli to recover from his illness.

Eli must stay in a room separate from his parents. The atmosphere of the treatment room feels somewhat strange and makes Eli scared. Eli feels disturbed in his room, where someone writes the word "Lie" on his window.

Dr. Horn assures that this is only a hallucination experienced as a side effect of the treatment. However, Eli feels it is real. Then Eli meets Haley (Sadie Sink), a girl who lives near the treatment place. They talk, and Haley says that there is indeed something strange in that place.

Eli tries to convince his parents to leave the place. However, after all the sacrifices they have made for Eli’s treatment, they want Eli to endure. Eli reluctantly accepts the treatment given by Dr. Horn. However, the terror he experiences becomes more serious and almost harms him. His parents still believe that it is Eli’s own hallucination.

Rose feels something strange about the interaction between Paul and Dr. Horn, which makes Rose a little suspicious. Rose and Paul also have a somewhat troubled relationship, although they always appear fine in front of Eli. What secrets are really hidden, and is there a connection with Eli’s illness?

 

Review:

Eli (2019) is a film with a fairly interesting story idea and presents a twist with good potential. Although there are many aspects that could be further optimized to enrich the story, this does not make the film a bad story. The story presented can still be enjoyed quite well. The twist is also not too easy to predict.

The story background is built quite well, first telling about the condition of the character who suffers from an auto-immune disorder and how his parents try to find a solution for it. This leads him to end up at the healing center and meet Dr. Horn.

The conflict development is done gradually by showing the terror and oddities that Eli begins to feel. The irregularities in the treatment given also become a source of external conflict experienced by the main character. Added to this is the tension between Eli’s parents themselves. These various conflicts eventually accumulate and build to a rather interesting climax.

The story resolution is quite interesting by providing an unpredictable twist from the beginning. Unfortunately, the presentation is not optimal, as many dialogues and scenes seem wasted. One example is the scene where the mother walks around the room while talking to Eli. Perhaps the intention was to build a tense atmosphere, but this intention is not well conveyed. The depth of the story built on the foundation and conflict is less well executed at the end.

The acting of the players is not outstanding but still enjoyable, with fairly consistent character performances from the beginning to the end of the film, as well as interactions and chemistry that are quite good.

The filming technique is quite good, showing important details related to the story. The effects used make the scenes more interesting. The choice of music and sound effects also fits each scene and adds to the tension. The color composition used also builds a mysterious atmosphere that is well conveyed.

Some parts that could be optimized in terms of the story include the background of Dr. Horn. In one dialogue, Dr. Horn says she has been treating Eli for a long time outside of the treatment at the institution. However, there is no clear explanation regarding that treatment. Also, it is unclear how Eli’s father obtained information about Dr. Horn.

#spoiler Eli’s background itself needs to be clarified, especially in the dialogue where his mother says she really wanted to have a child and eventually chose to pray to the devil. If explored more deeply, this would add an interesting and deeper layer to the story. For example, by showing flashbacks of how it all happened, the difficulties his mother faced, the impact on her relationship with her husband, and the effect of Eli’s presence in their lives. If presented well, viewers would better understand the emotions felt by the mother.

Something that could be added to build the story’s foundation is the reason why Eli must be purified. Because if we pay attention to the story presented, Eli is actually a good child who never misbehaves. His only drawback is his autoimmune condition that forces him to be isolated. However, if it is said that he will become ‘evil’ like the devil, Eli actually becomes evil after undergoing the treatment. So the premise that Eli must be purified because he is evil feels somewhat off.

Overall, although the story presented lacks depth, it can still be enjoyed quite well and beyond expectations. So it is worth considering as an alternative watch for horror film creators.

 

Memorable scene:

Eli’s father and mother accompany him into the examination room and assure him they will wait outside the door. They do this while holding hands to give Eli a sense of security. However, once the door closes, the handhold is immediately released.

In this scene, we see how parents often ‘pretend’ to appear fine in front of their children, even though there are conflicts and tensions between them. Parents choose to hide this so their children won’t worry.

 
Memorable dialogue:

"But he lied. The Devil always lies."

 

Ending:

Twist Ending

 

Recommendation:

Worth to watch

 

(Aluna)