Mind Thief

I just love this film. It's filled with joy, suspense, surprises and a quirky sense of humor. And it's incredibly well crafted! The writing holds up, the directorial choices are great and the entire cast delivers excellent performances. Angelique Pretorius who plays the lead keeps you glued to the screen with her great comedic timing and expressions that resonate with a depth and authenticity that is rare and special. She has classic movie star charisma. The story is a whimsical, psychological mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens next - its tone brings to mind an edgier Amelie. And the ending delivers a cool twist worth waiting for. This is the kind of film that makes you remember why you love movies.

First the movie poster, a creative, but weird, cartoon, gave no clue as to what movie was about. I had never seen Angelique Pristorious before, and at first thought the lead actress was Mischa Barton. But wow, Angelique was great. And saw afterward that Angeliqu also wrote the movie. Her humor made the character a combination of air-head, but with common sense. A unique combination. Also Angelique was great at the physical comedy/stunts. And Angelique is H-O-T. Yes, suspend disbelief, but was fun not knowing who was good or bad. This movie is ripe for a sequel. As most of the characters, both good and bad survive.

Most of the actors were new to me. Which also lead to some suspense.

I got to see this film at the Ojai film festival. I thought the story was engrossing and the mystery element kept me guessing. Mind Thief is the ultimate thriller that, true to its title, keeps your mind captive to its plot. Supported by a strong cast, the lead actress is captivating as an acrobatic author afflicted by writer's block. You really feel like you're in her shoes. It's a very compelling sci-fi thriller with dark comedy elements. It delves into themes of psychology about systems of control, both mentally and physically. This gets broken up by moments of humour, providing rich entertainment value.

I first watched the trailer for this and found it kind of intriguing, but then I looked at the user reviews. At the time of writing this, there are only 17 other user reviews, and of that, ten of them were 9 or 10 out of ten, and three of them were 1 or 2 out of ten. That seemed a little odd, like the production crew was giving it all 9s and 10s, and then some other faction was purposely rating it low. So I wanted to see for myself what was really going on.

Based on the trailer, I figured this would be a fun movie, and it was. While there are plot holes and questionable acting by some, there's also a decent, unique mystery with some twists, making this film exactly what I thought it would be... A fun film, that was a pleasant way to spend some time on a quiet day.

For the most part, the lead actors were fine. The characters were a bit cartoonish, but again, you can see that in the trailer, so if you go into the film from that mindset, you're good. I'm sure there's going to be someone out there who says they saw every move coming and figured everything out, but I'd have a hard time believing them because the story was odd and definitely original.

Again, the film's surely is not a 10 out of 10 like so many of the first reviews state. (In cases like this, it always seems that the first reviews have to be written by either production crew or a PR firm. There's no way there can be that many perfect scores in a row.) But it's way more than a 1 out of 10 like some other reviewers state. Sit back, let yourself enjoy getting caught up in the ridiculousness of the story, and you should be fine.

Blown away! The acting is fantastic and there are so many details to notice along the way. I felt like a detective trying to sort it out and was surprised at every turn of the plot. My wife and I were both riveted all the way through. The main actress, Angelique Pretorius, was stunning and incredible in every scene, somehow managing to be simultaneously funny and fierce. Truly, every actor was fantastic and each managed to surprise me with the turns and twists of the plot and within the character development. As soon as it was over I wanted to watch it again! I love dark sci-fi thrillers and this is at the top of my list. Fantastic film, highly recommend!