Dark and disturbing, the movie Looking Glass is now playing in Theaters and available on VOD and Digital HD. The movie’s a tossup between the Bates Motel for the most wicked and lecherous movie in decades. Looking Glass does have the inventive storyline down pat, however the direction and production value could have been a lot better. If you like weird and off the wall, then see it at a theater for the best gruesome presentation.
The film opens with married couple Ray (Nicolas Cage) and Maggie (Robin Tunney) driving on a road in rural Arizona. They seem to be running away from something that happened in their recent past. It’s very late by the time they come to the Motor Way motel and drive up to the office. They have the key and walk in looking for Wade (David H. Stevens), the owner. A note is waiting for them from Wade and they give him a call. He sounds worried, but tells them that everything is in order for them to take over the business.
Worried a bit, Ray and Maggie slough it off and find a room behind the office to spend the night. During sprucing up the motel the next day, Maggie rents room 6 to a gorgeous mystery woman named Jessica (Jacque Gray) and they are off to a good start. Tommy, a trucker drives up to the office and wants to specifically rent number 10. He says he’s a regular and always takes that particular room. Ray looks out the window as Tommy pulls into the space and a hooker gets out with him.
So beings a mysterious new venture for Ray and Maggie as the two try to make a living in a remote area that’s on a busy highway close to a very small town. Director Tom Hunter (TV’s “Mad Men”) works his characters into some very sordid scenes giving the film a gritty look that slowly moves on to creepy as Ray starts to unravel why the former owner didn’t wait around to greet the new owners. His best revelation however, is yet to come when the audience gets to peer through the looking glass.
Nicholas Cage does his usual best creating a character that finds himself in a quandary like Ray does with the mysterious motel. Even Howard (Marc Blucas) the local sheriff lays into Ray trying to figure out why he bought the motel and what he’s possibly running from. Cage relishes roles like this one and he plays this one pretty good. His film credits, nearly 100, have been mounting up with 27 of them following his debt crisis in 2011.
I like the convincing performance by Robin Tunney as the puzzled wife who can’t seem to come to grips with her husband’s weird personality change. She knows why they left the big city to own the motel to nowhere, but can’t figure out his confusing behavior. She still supports him until things take a turn for the worse. She’s slated for another film in 2018 playing Roxanne in the horror film Monster Party
Looking Glass has been rated R by the MPAA for sexual content, violence and language. There are also a scenes of brief nudity, brutality and dominatrix. The movie is now available on VOD for home viewing and in select theaters across the country. Be cautious when deciding to allow immature teens see the film as it does have inappropriate content.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Not Cages sharpest outing, but budget and direction has mostly to do with that. (2.5 out of 5 stars)
Additional Film Information
Cast: David H. Stevens, Nicolas Cage, Robin Tunney, Marc Blucas, Atticus Worman-Pope, Ernie Lively, Kassia Conway, Bill Bolender, Jacque Gray, Pascoalina Dunham
Directed by: Tom Hunter
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, violence and language. There’s also a scene of brief nudity and dominatrix
Running Time: 1 hr. 43 min.
Release Date on VOD: February 16, 2018
Distributed by: Momentum Pictures
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
