The Bad Batch - Netflix review

I have no idea whether this film is new to UK Netflix or whether its been out a while, but it only just appeared on my feed and seemed right up my street. 

The Bad Batch follows Arlen, played by Suki Waterhouse, who is banished to the desert where criminals, outcasts and those who are deemed the bad batch of society are dumped. A bit like The Heart Goes Last, I was drawn to this post-social apocalypse idea, but was once again disappointed by its delivery. The first downfall was when the opening titles revealed it was in association with vice. Need I say anymore.

The film seems to be imitating the style of many surrealist films, especially those from A24, in that it has minimal dialogue and long shots which feel like they could be halved, but eventually enlighten the characters we experience. The film is beautiful to watch, filmed in the Arizona desert the daytime scenes are parched and misty whilst the night is full of neon and death. Jason Momoa (seen in pic above) plays the antagonist turned anti-hero, and is the first thing I've seen him in since Game of Thrones (yes ladies, that is our beloved Khal Drogo). He has the same silent, brooding sense of self as Arlen, but eventually it just gets boring. Keanu Reaves has a bizarre part which seems to be some cathartic, anti-establishment version of the pursuits of the American Dream. He plays God in what we assume is the good side of this desert, meanwhile Miami Man's faction eat people. The film attempts to explore a Lord of the Flies -esque notion of what lengths we will go to to survive, but instead feels a bit pretentious. The long bouts of silence are fruitless when something expected and predictable occurs at the end of them. But, at least, on the bright side we get to marvel at the bod of Khal Drogo once more.