TIFF 2017: ‘Suburbicon’ Review

Left to right: Julianne Moore as Margaret and Matt Damon as Gardner in SUBURBICON, from Paramount Pictures and Black Bear Pictures.

Elevation Pictures

In a utopian town called Suburbicon (obviously), nothing bad ever happens. Everyone’s perfect life is perfect. That is, until a black family moves in and suddenly the residents are in a uproar, blaming them for a robbery gone bad that ends in murder.

Less a whodunit and more a whytheydunit, George Clooney and the Coen Brothers manage to craft a very watchable and suspense-filled film. Matt Damon and Julianne Moore (playing two characters) are on-the-money in terms of tone to match the darkness of the film only heightened by Alexandre Desplat’s wholly necessary overly dramatic score. However, Suburbicon doesn’t work as a movie about race and current societal issues; this subplot seemed more like an afterthought more than an intentional writing decision.

Rating: 6/10

Public Screenings: Sept 9 6:30 pm, Sept 10 12 pm

Find all of our TIFF 2017 reviews and coverage here.

Leave a Reply