Proper character development was a highly expected element of the movie, given that all characters had a diverse background and a story that could make them affable. But critics are positive that the film couldn't provide justice to all the roles.
Natalia Keogan, a film critic, described the script as "disjointed and incongruous" with no thematic ties to the shown events in March 2021.
In her film review for Paste Magazine, she dwelled on each character and pinpointed how Schillinger could have become a more interest-piquing role.
In her own words, the movie took a skin-deep approach, making him atone for his sins by cutting his inked swastika emblem from his chest.
In a nutshell, the movie's attempt to let the three ex-cons win a doomed battle against monstrous contemplations without providing details reduced the characters to dull caricatures.
Highlighting how marginalized people—like Black woman Imani and Latino single father Carlos—are incarcerated for far less than their white counterparts, then neglecting to explore those elements of their characters reads less as critique and more like mere set dressing.+
And while the character development wasn't apparently working, the acting helped little.
Felperin noted how the actors failed to express believable pain in the needed moment. Price also opined that the actors couldn't show genuine emotion and had a vacant look in their eyes.
The shortcomings of the movie became apparent through its negative ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. As of this time of writing, Stay Out of the Attic has 25% on Tomatometer with eight reviews.
