Daniel, surrounded by an otherworldly darkness, reverts to his true monstrous form, implying he will now seek out a new host. Ultimately, Daniel Isn't Real doesn't fully succeed in overcoming its overly familiar elements (you keep waiting for the two lead characters to join a fight club). There, we get shocking transformations and a bloody showdown that briefly jar the movie to life. Club wrote that the film is "a slick and thrilling take on the intersection of mental illness and creative inspiration that also doubles as a commentary on toxic masculinity" and awarded the film a B. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. 2019, Mystery and thriller/Horror, 1h 36m, Daniel Isn't Real, but the smart, stylish fun waiting for genre lovers in this well-acted suspense thriller is completely genuine. And yet, it isn't. The best thing I can say about Daniel Isn’t Real is that it’s a promising early feature made by young artists who haven’t yet worked out how to express and/or synthesize what they like about their favorite artists and their work. Daniel Isn’t Real is another horror movie from Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s production house, SpectreVision, the company that brought us Mandy, The Greasy Strangler and most recently, The Color Out of Space. |, July 16, 2020 [1], Principal photography began in July 2018, in New York City. |, December 20, 2019 Collections He meets another boy among the onlookers at the scene: cool and confident Daniel, who invites him to play and quickly becomes his friend. and the Terms and Policies, Daniel Isn't Real was introduced as 'a cross between Drop Dead Fred and Hellraiser'; if you are immediately wondering how that could ever play out, then rest assured, this is as good an approximation as you are likely to get. | Top Critics (16) His parents are fighting and it sounds like they are breaking up. Luke (Miles Robbins), a troubled college freshman, resurrects his imaginary childhood friend to help him deal with a traumatic experience. A troubled college freshman resurrects his imaginary friend to help him cope with a violent trauma. This movie is a beautiful and sad look on mental illness and learning to cope. Don't have an account? In a final confrontation with Luke, Daniel claims he has helped people for centuries, but none of them have deserved his help. All rights reserved. Luke realizes he and Daniel can never truly be separated. Official Selection at the SXSW... Read more . Their friendship comes to an abrupt end when Daniel convinces Luke that blending an entire bottle of Claire's psychiatric medication into a smoothie will give her superpowers. |, February 7, 2020 Luke’s story begins in his childhood. Read critic reviews We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Adam Egypt Mortimer's second feature ... offers a novel convergence of mental health issues, toxic masculinity and occultish vibes. Instead, it results in a near-fatal poisoning. |, July 1, 2020 "[7] On Metacritic, the film holds an averaged score of 61 out of 100 based on 11 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Surpassing similar attempts at capturing the retro-horror vibe like BEYOND THE GATES and THE VOID, DANIEL ISN'T REAL is an efficacious, if not a fair bit cheesy, exercise in psychological thrills and body horror. Rotten Tomatoes Predicts the 2021 Golden Globe Winners! Although adults such as Luke's mother, Claire (Mary Stuart Masterson), cannot see Daniel, he appears physically real to Luke. One of my favorite movies as a child was DROP DEAD FRED. | Rating: 4/5 Your AMC Ticket Confirmation# can be found in your order confirmation email.