THOROUGHBREDS

US, 2017, 92 minutes, Colour.
Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor- Joy, Anton Yeltchin, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift.
Directed by Corey Finley.

Surprisingly, a lot of American response to this film is to consider it a comedy. While there is a lot of irony in the film, what humour there is is rather black humour. This is even seen in the title, the reference to horses and the death of horses but also the metaphor further that the two young women, from affluent society and well educated, are thoroughbreds.

The film focuses on two young women, friends from early days, companions a school. One, Lily (a Taylor- Joy) combines with her friend, Amanda (Olivia Cooke), Amanda visiting the mansion home, their doing school work revision. However, Amanda reveals that she has been to psychologists, has no feelings, and is blunt in her analysis of Lily’s situation in her house, resenting her mother, even more hostile to her stepfather, who indulges in physical exercise and has photos of himself hunting.

Someone has commented that the two young women are the equivalent of American Psychos, an amoral plan to get rid of the stepfather, interrogating and hiring a young man who is ambitions of being a wealthy drug Lord in years to come (Anton Yelchin).

As might be expected, the plans do not turn out as anticipated. There is bloodshed. There is one friend framing the other. And Amanda being sent to an institution where she has dreams, writes to Lily who encounters the young man and reflects on the situation – and tells him that she has thrown Amanda’s letters away without reading them.

1. The title? The opening, Amanda and the knife, the horses? The metaphor of the horses, the two girls and their backgrounds, thoroughbreds? The further story about the killing of the horse?

2. The Connecticut setting, the mansion, the grounds, the interiors? Socials and parties? The town, the streets? The musical score?

3. The ironic tone of the film? Black humour? The girls as thoroughbreds, behaving like American Psychos?

4. The introduction to Amanda, visiting the house, curious, the past friendship with Lily? The awkwardness of their meeting, their studies, Amanda being paid? The background of the mothers and their concerns? The girls, their age, their past studies, the final photos of them with the horses?

5. Amanda revealing her character, psychologist, various diagnoses, schizoid? Her explanation of her not feeling? Her treatment of Lily? The studies, interrupting, diagnosing Lily, especially in her resentment of Mark? In her attitudes towards her mother?

6. Lily, her age, wealth, her mother and her self-centredness, her resentment against Mark? The discussions with Amanda? The studies, issues of money? Her holding her feelings inside? Amanda gradually getting her to open up, be honest, her hatred of Mark, the prospect of harming him, killing him?

7. Going to the party, the encounter with Tim, his manner, dominating, suspicious? The girls going to him about the killing? The discussions, his boasting about his future and drug dealing? The gun? The girls turning table on him, hitting with the lamp, in the bath? The meetings, the planning of the killing? His not turning up?

8. The girls, determination, Amanda forthright, Lily prim?

9. Mark, his arrival, attitude towards Amanda? The background of his exercise, hunting, the photos? His severity towards his wife?

10. The night, the discussion about the horses and the killing? Lily drugging Amanda? Killing Mark with the knife, returning, with so much blood on her arms, smearing it on
Amanda’s clothes? Lying on her for comfort?

11. The aftermath, Lily and her self-possession, the encounter with Tim and discussions with him? Talking about the letters from Amanda, her dreams, going to the institution? Lily throwing her letters away?

12. A contemporary morality/immorality/and morality play?