Hick Directed by: Derick Martini Starring: Chloe Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Eddie Redmayne Rating: R Release Date: May 11, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 3/10
Thoughts by TSR: Boy, this sure looks bad. I don’t usually like to say this, but I'm struggling to see any real point to this story. I suppose director Derick Martini is going for a backwards coming-of-age type of thing, which could be interesting if the rest didn’t appear to be a tonal mess. It has a good cast, but plenty of disastrous films can claim that. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t probably going to see this eventually, but I’m not going to seek it out expecting it to be a good film.
I don’t understand why Chloe Moretz, a young actress could do virtually anything, would want to do this. That being said, she looks as good as could be expected given the material she has to work with. Eddie Redmayne also looks potentially interesting playing what I imagine will be one of the most disgusting, despicable characters 2012 has to offer. I think he could end up being a lone bright spot if he’s given the opportunity to show any depth beyond being incredibly creepy.
There is one moment that I actively enjoyed, and that is when Moretz wrote “Might Die” on her pro/con list. If that was the tone of the entire thing I might be much more optimistic. Instead we get jarring tonal shifts in these 150 seconds, something reflected by the trailer's intertitles that range from “absurd” to “emotional” to “controversial.” I will see Hick, but only to find out if it lives up to this level of awful.