After receiving universal critical acclaim following its release at the Sundance Film Festival in January, the fresh black-comedy Thoroughbreds received a wide-release on Mar. 8. The cinematic concoction serves as the directorial debut of Corey Finley, and is late actor Anton Yelchin’s final film before his tragic death.

The film stars Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor as the main characters, chronicling the rekindling of their childhood friendship. Cooke’s character is a Lily, a girl who lacks the ability to express emotion, a factor that juxtaposes the comedic effect of the film. In contrast, Taylor’s character is Amanda overtly emotional — their dynamic contrasts one another like black and white. However, the seemingly innocent motion picture has a twist: Amanda has a stepfather she detests and Lily proposes they murder him.

Thoroughbreds is an concoction of different genres. From being a dark comedy to a crime film, it appeals to a broad audience. Described by critics as “American Psycho meets Heathers”, Thoroughbreds is a breath of fresh air in a theater seemingly filled with dull stories.

Not only is the story unique, the film’s shot composition is stunning. Even though it is screenwriter Corey Finley’s first motion picture, it is smoothly shot and framed nicely. Finley claims to have drawn inspiration from Kubrick’s The Shining, and it is evident with his immense incorporation of symmetry.

Finley’s work of art, Thoroughbreds, is aesthetically gorgeous. With a bright color palette juxtaposing the dark mood of the film, it compiles unusual factors that make a film in the modern age appealing. While it is not available in every theater, the movie made over 2 million dollars in the box office, shockingly successful for an underground indie directorial debut. Ranking 6 in the Sundance Film Festival, Thoroughbreds is evidently a twisted take on the generic teenage film.