Honestly, I didn't think it was well-made. It was disjointed and the elements were not assembled successfully: acting, writing, cinematography, score, etc. I left the theater feeling confused and uncomfortable. I was unable to suspend reality or immerse myself into the plot, but instead was very aware that I was watching a movie the entire time. The characters were not relatable, and the story was boring and did not inspire empathy.

When watching some of the scenes, I didn't know what emotion to feel: sadness, anger, sorrow, frustration, or something else? The script was awful; I didn't know what some of the lines meant or even the sentiment they were intended to convey.

There are still parts that I don't understand. There were so many loose ends and lingering questions, even at the end of the movie. I understand that, in real life, there might be remaining uncertainties; but why did he decide to give everyone fake names if he wasn't going to slightly alter the events/details for the better of the movie?

I suppose Michelle Williams played a complex character interestingly, but Paul Dano seemed kinda creepy, which I don't think was the intention. I liked seeing the behind-the-scenes of Sam creating scenes in his amateur movies. The set design/prop curation were spot-on! In my opinion, that would be the only category for which it deserves an Academy Award.