[Review] Suburbicon: High Aspirations, Low Execution

Suburbicon boasted an incredibly attractive lineup of director, screenwriters, and cast, which made me highly anticipate it. Unfortunately, the film ultimately proved to be a disappointment.

First, I'd like to thank Fox Searchlight Pictures for inviting me to last week's premiere of Suburbicon. Directed by Oscar winner George Clooney, penned by the Academy Award-winning Coen Brothers (Fargo, No Country for Old Men), and starring Matt Damon, Oscar winner Julianne Moore, and the increasingly excellent Oscar Isaac, the film, on paper, seemed "unbeatable" and was consistently touted as one of the year's most anticipated releases. The film begins by introducing its setting—the suburban community of Suburbicon—then immediately presents one of its central premises through a simple scene: a Black family moves into this previously all-white neighborhood, provoking resentment from the white residents. If you've seen the film's trailers and promotions, you'll notice this storyline was almost never highlighted, so it came as a surprise to me. In the current political and social climate in the U.S., films and series about racial equality and discrimination are commonplace, so it's not surprising that the film tackles this theme. However, this main storyline has almost no connection whatsoever with the film's more prominent plot involving the murder in the Gardner family. As a result, this storyline is relegated to a subplot, and its relevant themes fail to stand out.

Seeing the film's title, Suburbicon, one immediately recalls the screenwriters, the Coen Brothers, and their excellent previous works like Fargo and The Big Lebowski. One would also expect the film to lean into dark comedy, using an absurd story and its humor to satirize society and everyday human behavior. However, the first half of Suburbicon offers virtually no laughs; both the plot and the characters' actions and dialogue are remarkably bland. It's only in the latter half of the film that the comedic effect becomes noticeable, with villainous conversations and the deaths of two characters bringing a hint of the dark humor characteristic of the genre. Besides the tonal disparity between the film's first and second halves, the two main storylines also possess very different tones: the Gardner family's story is primarily absurd and dark comedy, while the Black family's storyline is more serious. Furthermore, beyond the mere fact that the two families live near each other, the two storylines fundamentally have no connection or intersection, making the entire film feel like two unrelated short stories, lacking cohesion. In the film, the residents and media constantly focus their attention on the ordinary Black family; even though they've done nothing wrong, people target them, trying to drive them out, while simultaneously ignoring the tragic events unfolding in the Gardner household next door. In the film's ending, Nicky (Noah Jupe), after witnessing the deaths of his entire family, does not call the police but instead goes outside to play with the Black family's child, as if a family tragedy simply didn't happen. This scene's absurd effect is arguably the strongest in the entire film, but by the time the audience feels it, the movie is already over, and we, perhaps like Nicky, might treat everything as if it never occurred.

Beyond the script, the film also falls short in its pacing and cinematography. Early in the film, the murder of the Gardner family is presented, but this scene not only fails to create suspense but is also remarkably flat, even feeling somewhat strange, leaving the audience perplexed. Subsequently, some shots in the film deliberately hide characters' faces, seemingly to create suspense and tension, but ultimately fail to achieve this effect, making their intention difficult to grasp.

Despite the film's disappointments, the cast delivers performances that are within their usual high standards. Oscar winner Julianne Moore, in particular, plays two roles and has the opportunity to portray some of the traumatized and frantic characters she excels at, and she does so exceptionally well, shining even brighter than her blonde hair. Oscar Isaac appears in the middle to later stages of the film, but he is incredibly charismatic and captivating, leaving a strong impression in just two or three scenes. It's no wonder he was so popular in the Star Wars franchise. As for the most impressive performance in the film, it undoubtedly belongs to Noah Jupe as Nicky. Despite his young age and sharing the screen with seasoned actors like Matt Damon and Julianne Moore, he portrays this pitiable child very naturally, eliciting great sympathy from the audience. He already left a deep impression last year in Wonder, and his performance in Suburbicon makes one even more excited for his future development.

George Clooney has previously directed critically acclaimed works such as Good Night, and Good Luck and The Ides of March. However, his 2014 film The Monuments Men and now Suburbicon have been disappointing, suggesting his directorial path still requires considerable effort. Indeed, his attempts at dark comedy and addressing racial issues in Suburbicon are commendable, and the performances of the cast are quite good. Unfortunately, the final product still disappoints. This might be a script issue, or it could be that George Clooney's ambition outstrips his execution, with his directorial skills needing further refinement.