Thread by @JuliusGoat

THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION is, in my opinion, very good. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

It's a pretty unhip movie to love these days (is my completely subjective sense) and it is almost mechanically formulaic and utterly square in the sort of way I usually associate with much older movies; but I can't bring myself to complain when it all works so damn well.

I got to show it to my kids—who knew nothing about it—and the thing I forgot is how well the execution of the conclusion is and also how what an amazing job the film (as opposed to all the marketing) does, both setting it up and also never leading you to expect it.

My quibbles are 1) voiceover is such a plague in movies that when a movie does it well it just encourages lazy screenwriters to keep trying; 2) cut the unnecessary final shot; I wish it ended (as the novel did) on the bus with "I hope" and fade to black.

After a stretch of years that have left me a lot more jaded, I really expected the return to this to result in a downgrade and a lot of people telling me that I was blocked and reported for my middling 3.5 star assessment, but nope, it was never close; I surrendered immediately.

I think some might come with THE SHINING as best King adaptation but THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION is the one in my opinion that best captures the vibe of a Stephen King book; it's probably my pick.

https://twitter.com/DavidLee029/status/1331595561229836295?s=20

Incidentally another that comes close to capturing the King vibe (though it's been decades since I've watched) is DELORES CLAIBORNE, interestingly another non-supernatural story.

Which suggests that the best way to adapt even King horror is to center the non-horror elements.