There's many ongoing conversations about rape/violence being depicted in film.

A previous review on this film explains how there's a lot in the film that is explicitly told to you and that's precisely the issue with the rape scene, for me. As a woman this scene made me feel like I wanted to throw up. I almost left the theatre. I think that scene could have been more powerful with less shown. I don't need to see the actual rape taking place to understand what Blaze is seeing. I can only assume the director wanted us to experience the horror through her eyes. But I didn't feel I was seeing it through her eyes - I was seeing it through mine and it was traumatizing. I wish I saw more of Blaze's face in that scene. I also felt immensely uncomfortable of the actors performing this scene. It reminds me of the discomfort of watching the rape scene in Blue Velvet. The sound of Hannah's head hitting the tree was very powerful and you understand what's going to happen next.

However, I didn't walk out of the theatre and I'm glad I stayed. Because there's lots of magic in this film. It reminds me of a Julie Taymour play or some sort of cotton Candy ExistenZ adaption. Very cool and unique in many ways. I loved the dragon - I disagree with the previous review mentioning it lacks facial expression. I felt its de-personalization and focus on texture was so interesting because the character is truly within Blaze so I didn't feel I needed to understand the dragon.

Some scenes could have felt forced or too out of the universe of the show but I didn't care, I enjoyed each texture and every move the imagination is taken through. Sometimes when you sit and watch a film with such unique production design it makes you challenge your own creativity and this one surely did. So thank you to the PD/Director duo.

Also the sound in this film could surely be criticized for being too over the top but I just accepted it as it was and it took me on a journey which I enjoyed.

Overall the rape scene almost made me not want to sit through the rest but I'm glad I did. I think if the rape could have been handled more sensitively I would have given this a 8/10.

Blaze could have been so great. The concept sounds fantastic and Savage is doing a great job as the main. Most of the coming of age parts are actually really well done and the movie portrays the process of trauma management in a way that feels relatable.

However, the main hook of the movie is poorly executed. There is a huge disconnect between the style of the over the top candy colored visions of Blaze and the emotional minefield that its main characters navigate through.

Furthermore, these scenes are a one trick pony. Every single one of them blasts you with melodramatic pop songs with lyrics that are right in your face, there is no subtlety. There is no space to ponder about the meaning of what you're seeing because it screams it right at you. And quite frankly, it's annoying.

The moment I realized that each of these scenes will be like this was the most heart breaking moment of the movie. I don't say that to mock the people involved, I actually mean it. Because there is a ton of potential here, if these scenes were handled better this movie could have been one of this years best. But sadly it just screams: "look how childish, colorful, fantastic yet sad I am! Look at me! Look at me!" And boy, did that get on my nerves at some point.

Also, I don't think the make up and costumes are all that great in these scenes. The movie looks a bit cheesy and the dragon itself doesn't work as a character due to its design. It isn't emotional expressive which makes the movie fall apart in some scenes where it feels like Blaze had to actually say what the dragon is feeling.

These scenes rarely add something significant to the story. Some are outright pathetic (especially the ones near the end of the movie). And they felt out of place. Like they were tacked on as an afterthought.

In the end, this might have been the best time I had with such a flawed movie in a long time but it was so cringe inducing at times I couldn't fully enjoy the main story.

If you are more open minded about flashiness or if you don't feel the cringe with melodramatic contemporary songs featuring a howling singer than you might enjoy this movie way more than I did. But I don't think this was good enough to get a recommendation from me.

(Saw this at the Slash Filmfestival, Vienna)

This film was potentially an interesting premise; unfortunately, there are too many flaws in the production to produce a Blaze. The film is more of a toaster-oven. The gradual psychological recovery of a young girl who witnesses a violent act probably takes place thousands of times a year in the US, so there is really nothing unique here. An examination of the adults and their characters might have been helpful, but those are missing from the film. The performance of the young girl playing Blaze is fine, and I am sure she has a future in film. The same cannot be said for the writers of the film, however.