The Blazing World

The Blazing World falls short narratively and visually.

Overstuffed and overextended, The Blazing World is buoyed by the soundtrack (especially the songs by Isom Innis and Sean Cimino in their project Peel), and the too brief appearance by the wonderful Soko.

There's plenty of imagination on display in The Blazing World, but it's buried amidst the narrative and stylistic self-indulgence that assumes we'll be interested in going on this very strange and ultimately enervating journey.

"The Blazing World" throws an ornate heap of production design at an anemically scripted psychological metaphor, and counts on a combination of fairy dust and sheer determined nerve to make the whole contraption fly.

To awe with outrageousness is impressive, to also get us to empathize is cinema divine.

Young's debut is ambitious and refuses to adhere to commercial conformity. It may not hit its emotional marks or substantially reinvent trauma depictions, but it's hard to ever be bored by a film that plays like a whimsical horror-fairy tale on acid.

I had little choice but to take the film at absolute face and textual value. These influences aren’t transfigured beyond the sum of their parts, they’re just familiar window dressing...

The visuals may be hypnotic, but they're in service of a valiant effort of a movie rather than a totally mind-bending adventure.

Once The Blazing World begins exploring the metaphysical realm and Margaret attempts her rescue mission, the film blossoms into a sumptuous feast of intricate production design and vibrant colors.

"The Blazing World" is an exquisitely rich presentation of imaginative storytelling. It stands as an ambitious and impressive debut from Young.