Tiago Teixeira’s ‘CUSTOM’ (2025) – Review

Though I am not fond of arthouse movies, I still gave Custom a chance. Though it was original, like a demented game of show and tell, from what I could make of it anyway. Custom left me feeling very neutral. I still don’t quite know how I feel about it.

Let’s dissect what I found to be a very confusing story.

Synopsis

A couple producing custom erotic films is dragged into a nightmarish conspiracy when they start working for a mysterious client.

This pretty much sums up the entire movie. While the synopsis is not misleading; it’s still very confusing.

Maybe this film will be great for someone who has more of an interest in arthouse films. For me, it was kind of a mess. Though the acting was quite incredible, and the idea of the storyline seemed pretty cool. I did not expect what I got. It’s hard to read this movie, mainly because I always have a hard time dissecting a movie that doesn’t hold my interest.  It may make me sound like a ‘Simp,’ I hate having to process a movie that was this confusing. Call me what you will.

At first, I was wearing headphones so the kids didn’t hear it while screening it, but nothing out of order came. I am not a perv, I just found the title misleading, almost like those 80’s slumber party movies where the escaped convict looks for revenge. There is no real theme to grasp within the film. All of the characters were completely unlikeable. The acting was really good, as I mentioned earlier, it just didn’t fit with the approach to a theme. It just made me resent all of them more, because no one felt like a significant character.

A Little Unfair

It wasn’t all bad; however. There were some memorable moments that popped up as I refocused my attention again. I really feel that these moments will be memorable to others as well. I didn’t have a takeaway. I guess if I could say anything, I am just not good with this much dialogue in a movie. I’m a simple person who likes to simply enjoy the occasional off-the-wall movie. This film, however, wasn’t for me.. I saw every single drop of sweat put into Custom. I think there are plenty of people will be extremely happy with this movie if they decide not to heed my warning. All we can do is look back and say, “Everyone deserves to be happy.”

In The End

My experience was a little disheartening because I didn’t get what I expected, which would have at least been a room with actual light. There is a super craze over movies like Custom; we have moved beyond simple plots because anyone can Google what they see, and the world is at their fingertips. You can figure out the entire meaning behind any movie amongst dozens of forums where everything is “right.”

I prefer to enjoy films the old way, I don’t want homework after I watch something. It surely takes the magic out of the film that a lot of people worked really hard on.

Custom hits digital platforms on August 19.