Movie Review: Daniel Isn’t Real (2019)
From director Adam Egypt Mortimer, and writer Brian DeLeeuw, Daniel Isn’t Real follows the story of Luke. Played by Miles Robbins (Halloween 2018, X-Files), Luke is a kid who was raised by a single mother most of his life and she doesn’t really have it all together. His dad left because of her being a bit crazy, and Luke didn’t have any friends growing up. Enter Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger). Daniel is Luke’s imaginary friend who plays with him as a child, but upon coming home to visit his mother after leaving for college comes back into his life.
What we really liked about this film most was the lighting, cinematography, and score. It was done exceptionally well. The direction and special effects are also something to note, but the atmosphere was really amazing. Mortimer did a great job for this being only his second feature film, and it also had some very well-done special effects mixed in there from time-to-time. Elijah Wood was also a producer here, but we aren’t sure how much involvement he had. The production and acting were definitely the most noteworthy, though.
The writing was something that we didn’t appreciate as much early on, but as the film progresses it breathes a life of its own and has a lot to offer. The dynamic between Luke and Daniel in his adult life is definitely something that grew to be outstanding and these characters are chaotic but also have a lot of depth. The other people surrounding Luke, like his mother Claire (Mary Stuart Masterson) and girlfriend Cassie (Sasha Lane) were also monumental as part of the story and were written and acted well. As Luke finds himself allowing Daniel back into his life, things progressively get more chaotic for him and the people around him, and as he opens himself up more to suggestions from his old friend, it comes with some interesting results and causes tense situations. Watching it all unfold is great.
Overall, for being an indie film, Daniel Isn’t Real ranks up there with some of the best. We thought it was great. And there are many moments when it has you wondering whether it’s just schizophrenia or whether Daniel is actually real as the film plays out, which is all part of the horror element. Is Daniel Real? We will leave that up to you to decide, but we would definitely recommend this one.
From Shudder and Samuel Goldwyn Films, Daniel Isn’t Real releases in theaters. on digital and on-demand on 12/6/19.
Trailer:
