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I Care a Lot: A Review

I Care A Lot is a film that was released somewhat recently and stars actress Rosamund Pike. For a time, it was ranked number one on Netflix and was very popular. Eventually, I decided to sit down and watch what seemed to be a well renowned and revered movie. By the time I reached the end of it, I had mixed opinions.


The movie started off strong, with a good plot and extremely interesting characters. The main character is a woman named Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike), who essentially takes advantage of older folks and tricks them into staying in care homes. The film was attempting to shed light on the mistreatment and abuse that often occurs within nursing homes. However, I quickly realized it didn’t hit the mark. Marla began as a [purposefully] terrible and manipulative character. She had little guilt and rarely showed mercy. She was stone cold and calculating, as well as charismatic. Rosamund Pike did an excellent job in her role, but unfortunately this movie didn’t do her acting skills justice.


The LGBTQ+ representation was a postive part however and I really applaud the writers for writing a lesbian couple so well. It wasn't a huge part of the movie- which is how it should be. Many movies throw in LGBT characters and attempt to make it their entire personality, make them stand out as if their relationships and sexualities aren’t just normal, which they are. It was good representation, and not forced representation, as many movies do.


Essentially, a shady legal guardian lands in hot water when she tries to bilk a woman who has ties to a powerful gangster. The movie left a lot of questions and confusions. Plus, the plot began to unravel at the end and many things were incredibly unrealistic. For example, the way she is pushed into a river inside of a car, and manages to escape from the car as well as swim to the surface, despite being groggy and drugged. While it started off suspenseful and engaging, it quickly became ridiculous and tiresome. The cast was outstanding and the acting was pretty decent. This might have been a good film if they’d stuck to a more consistent plot and had a better script. Additionally, another irking part of the movie is the way the writers attempt to make Marla into this feminist hero for rising above the patriarchy and taking what she wants, when in reality, she was purely manipulative. There was nothing empowering about her or her actions and oftentimes, she accused people of sexism when they called her out on her actions.


I’m quite a fan of psychological thrillers and this movie attempted to uncover a downside of nursing home & guardianship systems in America through fairly toxic entertainment. However, this critically acclaimed film didn’t do a perfect job of shedding light on such a harrowing issue, instead turning into a cheap action flick. I did not applaud when the credits showed at the end of the film. Of course it’s up for debate but personally I believe, I Care A Lot wasn’t the best of 2021.


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