At first, I thought this qualified as a horror picture. It scared me to see children allowed to run wild, do what they want, and go unsupervised. Then that I became aware that this is the toll that poverty takes on children and parents breeding an antisocialism in life. I don't think the picture takes sides, but just shows, and we see that in spite of the environment, there can be love for mother and child. Set against the fantasy world these people live in their struggles are more pronounced, The director manages to get incredible performances out of the children, and we see goodness in the motel manager who understands where these people are coming from. I really don't know how to rate it, but it stands as a good film experience, confusing at first but worth seeing and thinking about.
Review of The Florida Project
