12/16
The Maynards and their children lead a near-perfect billionaire family life. Amon is a passionate hunter, but he doesn’t shoot animals, as the family’s wealth allows them to live completely free of consequences. It took 7 years to finance. Ayn Rand: The Question Is, Who’s Gonna Stop Me? I saw this at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Filmmakers Daniel Hoesl and Juliane Niemann clearly have an interesting satirical take on the wealthy class, and while there are some good ideas, it feels underdeveloped and not as strong as the film thinks it is. Throughout the film, the production designs, camerawork, and color presentation are beautiful and truly gorgeous, as they help capture the atmosphere and essence of the characters. Hoesl and Niemann’s direction, while a bit muddled, has a clear vision of what style and mood they’re going for. Most of the performances are solid, with a few of the children’s performances falling a bit flat. The narrative is a good concept, but unfortunately, it feels as strong as it thinks it is because the narrative feels underdeveloped with some of the themes and the characters don’t seem that engaging or interesting to connect with emotionally. Like there are some good ideas that don’t really live up to their potential. There are certain moments that are shocking, edgy and downright bizarre and I understand where the filmmakers are coming from and their vision. But it doesn’t feel entirely earned and the style feels too similar to something by Ruben Ostlund or Michael Haneke. Overall, it’s not bad as there are some moments that I enjoy. But it could have been stronger.