I Care a Lot (2020)

Very Watchable Thriller - I Care a Lot review by GI

This is an exquisitely nasty thriller about two sociopaths going head to head. Despite its coldness this is eminently watchable and draws you in making it rather enjoyable with very dark humour and a twisty plot. Rosamund Pike, almost perfectly cast, plays Marla, a calculating and cold woman who runs a scam as a court approved legal guardian trapping old people into care homes and milking their assets with the help of compliant doctors, care home owners and conning a naive judge. When she targets a wealthy woman (Dianne Wiest) with no apparent family and has her incarcerated she hasn't banked on the woman having some very dangerous connections. This is a really decent thriller with Pike channeling the same ruthlessness she showed in Gone Girl (2014), Wiest is also really good as the old lady who has a hidden toughness that is a neat surprise and sadly she is underused in the film especially its ending and Peter Dinklage supports. Because everyone is rather despicable you get caught up in the battle between the main characters where it's difficult if impossible to root for anyone. You just have to sit back and see who might win this violent battle of wits. Despite the evil nature of the protagonists this is a film that cleverly avoids gratuitousness making it a very enjoyable thriller. Recommended.