Come True – Movie Review (3/5)

COME TRUE is a new Sci-Fi Thriller being released by IFC. It’s one hell of a mindf*ck and it won’t be for everyone. However, it is definitely a stylistic feat. It became a bit too long for my liking, but I did love the beginning and that ending. Read our full Come True movie review here!

COME TRUE is a Sci-Fi Thriller that has a very distinct style in terms of both storytelling and visuals. Obviously, this also means it won’t be for everyone. If you’re not into slow-burn movies, then you probably shouldn’t expect to enjoy this one.

I didn’t mind the slow-burn aspect at all. In fact, it’s exactly what I loved about the director’s short film “Father’s Day” that first made me take notice of his name. Still, it is ultimately too long for me which is why the overall rating isn’t higher. I could definitely also have done without the romance element which brought nothing good to the table. Quite the contrary!

Continue reading our Come True movie review below and check out the movie as it’s released by IFC.

Gorgeous visuals and a slow-burn mindf*ck

If there is one thing Come True really has going for it, then it’s the entire sci-fi vibe that is pushed forward with strong visuals. We’re in the present (as revealed by the smartphones) but most of the technology, used for the sleep study that is the center of the story, looks like it was a good 20-30 years old.

It works extremely well in terms of setting the stage as both familiar and current yet somehow strangely dated.

Also, the story itself is very simple; A girl enters a sleep study to make easy money and have somewhere safe to sleep. She doesn’t sleep at home since she’s avoiding her mother. Instead, she relies on sleeping at a friend’s house or in a sleeping bag at a local playground.

However, we also know that when the girl sleeps, she has some very strange dreams. And yet, the dreams also deliver strong (and creepy) visuals that add to the whole “mindf*ck” experience. I should mention that the girl, Sarah, is portrayed by Julia Sarah Stone (The Killing season 3, Honey Bee) who delivers a very impressive performance.

The ending of Come True

There is no need for a “Come True ending explained” feature here on Heaven of Horror. In fact, the ending is the explanation for everything and I did actually enjoy it. However, I recognize that this is yet another thing that isn’t for everyone.

Also, the Come True ending might not be super innovative, but it hit all the right spots for me. So, to me, it definitely hit a sweet spot.

I do, however, want to recognize that it also made me wish (even more!) that they had cut out the romance element. And I also need to acknowledge that when the ending of Come True rolls around, it does absolve itself of having to answer any questions. Or rather, I don’t think it does, since I wanted – and needed, even – answers to some of the many storylines that remain open.

Watch Come True in select theaters and On-Demand

Anthony Scott Burns is the director and co-screenwriter of Come True. I’ll be completely honest and say that his involvement both made me positive for the movie up-front and had me expecting greatness. And I did experience greatness. Just not as far as the entire movie (with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes) was concerned, which was disappointing.

For me, Anthony Scott Burns delivered one of the strongest short films I can remember seeing. He made the “Father’s Day” segment of the Holidays anthology, which was overall a very strong horror anthology. Still, Anthony Scott Burns was the one who left the biggest impact with his short film, so now I expect nothing short of greatness from him.

Don’t miss: Our review of the Holidays (2016) horror anthology >

Come True has so much going for it and my expectations for his future productions are in no way diminished. The fact that he is also the cinematographer on this feature film is also very impressive. As far as editing goes, he also took on this task and should probably have had someone else on board for that process as well.

Basically, I enjoyed the ending itself and the first half of the movie. In between this, there was a good chunk of 15-20 minutes (at least) that I could have done without. In my mind, the movie would only have been stronger and better for it.

COME TRUE will open in select U.S. & Canadian theaters, digital platforms, and cable VOD on Friday, March 12, 2021.

Details

Director: Anthony Scott Burns
Writer: Anthony Scott Burns
Stars: Julia Sarah Stone, Landon Liboiron, Tedra Rogers