A little girl helping her father prepare a syringe of heroin is dark. It takes quite a mind and set of balls to go darker and more bizarre. Knowing when exactly to let up is impressive. Making it constantly entertaining and watchable is what...
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A little girl helping her father prepare a syringe of heroin is dark. It takes quite a mind and set of balls to go darker and more bizarre. Knowing when exactly to let up is impressive. Making it constantly entertaining and watchable is what really matters.

This isn't just some experiment in being demented and unpleasant. And it's not a gimmicky exercise in putting a cute face in a horrific situation. It is a multifaceted film executed expertly that is rewarding to watch and to rewatch.

The otherworldliness of the characters, and their being separated from almost any normal people seems to me to be an important part of my enjoyment of this movie. Without a truly sane parent or even outside to protect Jeliza Rose, the movie is slightly unsettling even when the particular scene you are watching is pleasant or optimistic. The lack of such a person also makes the movie less realistic, which dulls any possible sting of the movie's darkest and most bizarre sections.

I also want to stress that there is an underlying warmth to the movie, and that none of the characters are monsters, but all of them could definitely use some help from healthy and caring people.