Satirical. Wannabe cautionary tale. Almost a comedy. Dressed-up as a who-dun-it with a laudable and worthy cast, doubtless each of whom saw some facet of potential in the script. There are bright moments where a flame is almost sustained.

In reaching for everything -- it grasps nothing. A terrific opportunity for most cast members to stretch and grow, to demonstrate new range and reach for the kind of roles previously filled by major talents recently lost to the ravages of time.

Ultimately it is grating to watch as the off camera talent was missing or massively divided in their conceptions which forced an ineffective compromise.

Rather like watching a 2019 'slice of life' of distant relatives of 'the Baudelaire orphans' as told by stoners -- lacking the individual magic of the stunning cast of that cult classic that so charmed and amazed in 2004.

So much potential lost between the fingers of incompetents. Reminds me of the parable told of the dog with the bone crossing a bridge who sees his reflection... and drops the bone.

Someone needs to be sure that the Producer faction, the Director faction, and the Editor faction never work together again. It just fails to gel -- can not even sustain an emulsion. It was a struggle to finish watching this.