THOROUGHBREDS:  Rated R – 1 hr. 32 mins. 

THOROUGHBREDS:  Rated R – 1 hr. 32 mins. 

Director/Writer:  Cory Finley 

Starring Olivia Cooke, Anja Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, and Paul Sparks

Nestled in the upper-class suburbs of Connecticut, we meet spoiled and entitled life-long friends Amanda (Olivia Cooke) and Lily (Anja Taylor-Joy) …trying to make the best of what’s left of their teenage years…

As they attempt to rekindle the tight friendship they once shared as youngsters, it seems that Amanda is presently coming to terms with her very apathetic existence, while Lily is facing her own dysfunctional existence, exacerbated by the presence of her stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks).

As the girls reminisce about their past lives, their beautiful riding companions, and how significant these Thoroughbreds were to them in their early lives…. they devise a plan that will rid both of them of their “issues” in one fell swoop…even if their friend/ acquaintance Tim (Anton Yelchin) isn’t on board with helping them to make ALL THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE….

I give THOROUGHBREDS a rating of DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! Dysfunctional, disturbing and sometimes truly painful to view, this dramatic thriller plays out way to off kilter for me, graining against my conventional views.  Cooke is good, playing the apathetic teenager, whose mental illness is clouding every inch of her existence, and Taylor-Joy’s performance is acceptable too, as the spoiled brat that is totally used to getting her way, no matter what the cost.  It was enjoyable to see Yelchin on the big screen too, after his untimely death in June of 2016 ~ But, this film, as a whole, just didn’t enamor me in way, shape or form.  Reflecting on what I had just viewed, I did come to the conclusion that THOROUGHBREDS does bring to light the sad realities of our present-day society, through which many young adults feel that they are entitled to live the life they want, and at any cost, without any recourse for their actions, while it also exacerbates the narrative that if you want something bad enough, no matter what the consequences for you, or your friends, you make it happen…as nothing is more important in this life, than seeking your own happiness, and striving for it, to the bitter end… and this narrative too, just doesn’t sit well with me, not matter how you try to justify it…

Kathy Kaiser