Release: The Ballad of Dwight Frye

 

The Ballad of Dwight Frye

Genre: Biography/Horror/Drama

Director: Sam Mendes

Writer: D.R. Cobb

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Richard E. Grant, Makenzie Leigh, John Goodman, BJ Novak, Alice Cooper

Budget: $40,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $28,380,229

Foreign Box Office: $26,125,489

Total Profit: -$25,097,001

Reaction: On paper, the box office figures aren't horrible given the unique genre mixture - but it would seem that the budget was simply too high to truly give the film a chance at profits.

"Sam Mendes' latest film is a haunting ballad of an actor's descent into madness, masterfully portrayed by Barry Keoghan. Set against the backdrop of 1930s Hollywood, the film blurs the lines between reality and delusion as Frye becomes consumed by his roles in classic horror films. The soundtrack is a clever mix of styles that match the disturbing imagery on display." - Mark Gilbert, Boston Globe

"Sam Mendes and D.R. Cobb have mixed together two genres - biographical drama and horror - that don't often meet and the results are undeniably entertaining (and unsettling). I was particularly taken in the second half as the film feels like a clear nod to the Universal horror movies of the 30s in its style. While the story may've benefitted from seeing more of Dwight before his descent into madness, Barry Keoghan is given a lot to chew on here and is clearly making the most of the opportunity." - Reggie Coscarelli, San Fernando Valley Sun

"The Ballad of Dwight Frye" blends Hollywood history with psychological horror, following a 1930s character actor's descent into madness through intense yet uneven storytelling. Barry Keoghan's committed performance and the film's authentic period atmosphere create intrigue, but the narrative stumbles once it shifts from industry drama to a predictable asylum horror. While Sam Mendes captures the gothic essence of Universal's classic monster films, the story ultimately relies too heavily on familiar madness tropes, never quite matching its ambitious premise. - Ted Milo, Montasefilm

Rated R for disturbing images, thematic elements involving mental illness, and some violence