What surprised me most about this movie is how much I enjoyed it, despite its overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and audiences. It’s not often you find a film that divides people so deeply, but I think I understand why. The biggest reason people might not like this movie is that it doesn’t feel like anything else. There’s no easy comparison or clear genre to place it in. We’re so used to watching movies that follow familiar patterns—stories, tones, or styles that remind us of something we’ve seen before. This film doesn’t offer that. It’s entirely unique, which can feel disorienting if you’re expecting something more conventional. Even now, I’m not sure if I watched a drama or a comedy—or some strange combination of both. But what I do know is that it held my attention from beginning to end, which doesn’t happen often for me. Another reason people might reject this movie is its aesthetic. It’s unapologetically harsh. The characters, buildings, rooms, and even the colors are abrasive and unpleasant to look at. The only exception is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s wife, whose presence and appearance feel like a rare softness amidst all the grit. That contrast makes her stand out even more. The harsh visuals might repel some viewers, making it hard for them to connect with the story. But for me, the raw ugliness of the film felt intentional. If you can embrace the grittiness and let go of any expectations about how a movie should look or feel, there’s something compelling here. This film challenges you to meet it on its own terms. It’s not easy or polished, but it’s deeply memorable. If you approach it with an open mind and resist the urge to compare it to anything else, you might just find yourself appreciating it.

Dare I say this Hoffman was the better actor

i'm watching this witch pure joy

The idea behind this movie moved me a lot, but it was a movie with really satisfying expectations

Wish i had watched this sooner - superb, thoughtful direction and scripting. The attention to detail is pure joy.

You ever get a movie where the side characters and their side stories are a lot more interesting then the main characters in the main plot of the film? Well if not then there is this film.

Surprised at the low ratings for this one, great cast / some good performances (especially Richard Jenkins) and I liked the slowly rolled out story of bumbling souls who can't seem to connect, no matter how badly they want to.

This was such an entertaining movie with a great cast and storyline. It had humor, drama and plenty of strangeness. It's definitely worth the watch.

The movie is irritating and difficult to watch from the beginning, It does not represent real life at all. It's far from a bad movie, but I don't recommend watching it for 5 reasons, shallow plot, predictable plot, everyone has sex with everyone in turn, bad acting, boy's death is somehow irrelevant to the plot, police doesn't exist, boobs everywhere, unreasposable parenty taking bets on horses for no reason, throwing away money by responsible persons, ... Don't waste your time on this stupidity, stupidity, stupidity, stupidity...

This movie did not get enough credit for its production. If it seems too cliche for some then it is evident some of these people don't have enough complexities in their own life to appreciate the depth of these characters. Life is full of unspoken correlations as we share some of the pain and the intricate feelings this movie flawlessly captured. I frankly gave up on Movies in general and then I stumbled upon this one without my own choosing. Had I not watched this movie in the tumultuous times of our lives now, I never would have reconsidered that there is hope for real producers who could play with mundane pain yet ease your suffering to a simple place of normalcy. Well done.

I wanted to like this... Philip Seymour Hoffman! But... Bo-ring. Depressing. Aimless.

This film is a little sobering - its about a down and out area and the people who feel stuck, trapped, inside it. There's a good, solid performance from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and im not sure what else I can say of it really. There are one or two somewhat amusing moments and I couldn't not respect the sense of perserverance that the characters (mainly the main character, Mickey Scarpato) have to begrudgingly deal with. As I say, its a bit sobering - there is some narration provided at the start and towards the end and it could be seen as a little preachy perhaps but I reckon its worth seeing for Hoffmans performance alone, if nothing else. Its a little slow paced but otherwise its good, so I'd recommend it overall, yes.

Low key story of a small town(God's Pocket) centered on a murder that is covered up and the events that come from it as told through the words of a local journalist. Not a particularly deep or exciting story but it seems fundamentally sound and the cast sells it for what it is.

Bizarre how this rated so poorly! It's phenomenally well cast, and the story is strong. The connections between those in a poor community, as well as the character development and their sub-stories are all brilliant. Gritty, real, and totally worthy of recognition, this was such a good find! 100% will watch again

Some actors that I really like but the movie wasn't much to write home about. it was ok.

good actors in a waste of a movie. horrible script & direction.

Truely a bad movie. Great people absolutely ruined in a terrible movie on all fronts.

Dark but good plot and acting. I liked it.

I just like this type of movie. Gritty, gruesome and funny in equal measure. Lots of quality actors involved and performing at their best

Let's just put it this way. This movie had a log way to go before it saw the light. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was fantastic. He depressed the hell out of me, but he was seriously really good. The movie is sad. I continuously pictured Hoffman exactly like his character when he passed away. It's hard to glass full it when you're dragging that thought for and hour and a half. It was an interesting film but went no where. Not even a little bit. If I had to say something good about this film, besides the actors, it would be this film killed every single character that you wanted them to die. The film is not worth your time. Even if you are retired and living in Florida. Good watching!