A review by damjanotom
Cujo by Stephen King

challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

For what is a mundane monster horror story this split its focus far too much. The horror of being blinded by life's difficulties and led by innocuous circumstance to the point that you can't see the threat in front you is interesting but the threat felt contrived and fairly uninteresting. Additionally, the swinging of circumstances especially in Vic and Roger's storyline felt unrealistic and more for convenience than anything else. A more systematic villain that better related to the violence being enabled by life and it's grim ebbs and flows might have been more interesting and would have allowed a more fleshed out and believable series of circumstances and more satisfying characterisations. Alternatively, give the monster horror a chance, transition between different power dynamics, add a cat and mouse segment or something just to give the tension more substance.
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