We figure out how well ‘Cruella’ lived up to expectations and why this film is worth watching not just for Emma Stone.

Australian director Craig Gillespie, known for ‘I, Tonya’ and ‘Lars and the Real Girl’, teamed up with Disney Studios for a tempting gamble — to tell the backstory of the famous Disney villainess and dalmatian-hater Cruella de Vil. The result is an uneven, predictable, but very vibrant film, ‘Cruella’. We’ve already watched Gillespie’s work and found 5 reasons to recommend you do the same.

Reason #1 — Emma Stone’s Benefit Performance

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In ‘Cruella’, Stone fires off puns and brims with intonations (watch in the original voiceover if possible, it’s worth it), delivers Shakespearean monologues, portrays a gray mouse and an odious fashion queen, beats up thugs, and even sings a little. And everything the actress does on screen looks convincing and organic. If for some unclear reason you didn’t like Emma Stone before, this film might change your mind about her.

Reason #2 — Luxurious Soundtrack

‘Cruella’ is not a musical in the pure sense. But the music in this film acts as a kind of metronome, setting the tempo and mood for everything happening on screen. And the songs the creators picked are simply wonderful. It feels like the filmmakers just took the best compositions in the world and compiled them into one mixtape. Actually, why not?

On screen, we hear Feeling Good by Nina Simone and a cover of the legendary Come Together; Deep Purple fans will enjoy the song Hush, and Iggy Pop’s composition I wanna be your dog not only served as the backdrop for one of the film’s brightest scenes but also gained new life thanks to John McCrea (and the band Måneskin, who recorded a cover for the ‘Cruella’ promo tour).

Reason #3 — Supporting Characters

You can sing praises to Emma Stone and her transformations all you want, but her success is largely due to a great acting ensemble that skillfully complemented her. Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser, who brought humor to the film, made charmingly clumsy accomplices for Cruella, who, by a happy coincidence, get away with almost everything. And Emma Thompson became the embodiment of the perfect antagonist — ruthless, haughty, endlessly stylish, and without obvious weaknesses. As film critics often say, in certain episodes, Thompson even stole the film from Stone, thanks to her subtle and flawless performance.

Reason #4 — Stylish Visuals

‘Cruella’ is a film-celebration, a film-show. It has many episodes made just to look beautiful. The main character’s eccentric performances, unexpected looks and hundreds of dresses, the sets of castles and 1960s London — all of this works together to give viewers aesthetic pleasure.

An individual style with a predominance of red against a combination of black and white is evident throughout, down to the elegant end credits. By the way, there’s a fun post-credits scene, don’t miss it!

Reason #5 — Dynamics

The stated 2-plus hours might seem excessive, but during viewing, time flies by unnoticed. The ‘culprit’ is the dynamic storytelling. One event replaces another, like dresses on Emma Stone. Humorous sketches give way to dramatic moments. The music adds drive. The high pace of the story somewhat obscures the logic of some scenes and character motivation (as well as the intrigue), but ‘Cruella’ is, first and foremost, entertainment cinema. And it entertains quite well.

‘Cruella’ has been in theaters since June 3.

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