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Nov 15, 2023

'Capsules': Drug fueled horror can't capitalize on ideas

Not to mention all the privilege. By on Capsules is a drug fueled horror movie

Not to mention all the privilege.

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Capsules is a drug fueled horror movie that never reaches the highs it is aiming for. When four chem students come across a bottle of mystery pills, they decide to try them to see what will happen. They immediately become addicted in the worst possible way: if they stop taking them, they will die.

There have been many great stories whose basic premise is "be careful what you wish for". Often, it is the pursuit of power, but it can be any number of things. In the case of Capsules, it is simply about getting high. There is nothing wrong with the premise, but Capsules stumbles when it comes to the details.

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Simply put, much of it does not make sense. While it is established that the group enjoy using drugs, it is never explained why four chemistry students would take unknown pills. Especially when one does not even drink and the other works as an EMT. (These are also two avenues to learn more about the characters that are never explored.)

Things get more confusing once the effects kick in. Once they start throwing up, they immediately know they must keep taking the pills to survive. Coupled with an intrusive score and lack of character development, Capsules becomes a frustrating watch. Instead of worrying about the group, the audience keeps asking why they would even make some the decisions they do.

The unfortunate part is there are some interesting ideas interspersed throughout Capsules. A quasi countdown brings much needed tension and there are some gory special effects that look good, even if one scene is shoehorned in. Even the idea is not bad since the stronger writer can provide fear, suspense, and empathy.

But with every step Capsules takes forward, it takes a few back. The final moments introduce an unnecessary sci-fi twist before ending abruptly. There is no lead up to the moment and no time to let it sink in. It just ends up being another good idea in theory.

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