We Need to Do Something (2021)★★★★☆

This is a weird movie. I think I liked it better this time around. The first time I watched it, I may not have been quite “ready” for a slow-burn film about being stuck in a room with your family, no clear way out or idea when (or if) you’ll be rescued.

Watching it now, a little further from lockdown and with a little more breathing room, I can see the appeal. There are some really great performances, some really creepy moments (and jump scares!), and a few creepy mysteries that slowly get revealed or discovered.

I love the lack of color…or rather, the preponderance of pink…through most of the film. The colors in the flashbacks are mostly muted, except for Melissa’s hair (pink again - which, by the way, is probably another reason this movie spoke to me!).

I like Vinessa Shaw. Hocus Pocus is a forever classic for me (and many of my generation), but 40 Days and 40 Nights was the first R-rated movie I saw in theaters without a parent or guardian with me! She was great as Diane, and Pat Healy was great as Robert. But really, this movie is Sierra McCormick’s (Melissa). Her performance here really brings everything together and makes this more than just a long, slow descent into the madness that is family.

This may still hit too close to home for some folks. I might think of it every time a tornado warning sends us into the basement in our house. But I think it’s probably worth a watch, especially if you like slow-burn films or girls with pink hair.