OE


The film is very slow (“deliberate pacing”), to the point that many find it sleep-inducing (“soporific”). [A] plodding and [E] tedious both match this context best. The phrase “in line” implies that this latest creation is similar to the director’s melodramas. Therefore, [A] and [E] fit in the blank. You could argue, in a convoluted fashion, as it were, that [B] makes sense. That is, a convoluted melodrama is one that’s likely to drag on and cause people to fall asleep because it takes forever to get to the point, if it even has one. However, none of the other words are close in meaning to “convoluted.” Without a synonym, this cannot be the answer. [C] exacting means “requiring a lot of attention.” Since the “deliberate pacing” causes many to fall asleep, the film could be seen as exacting, with only a few being able to handle the pacing. Nonetheless, like [B], there’s no word amongst the six answer choices that has a similar meaning. [D] sadistic means “to enjoy inflicting suffering on others.” It’s a stretch to say that a boring film is inflicting suffering. [F] shocking implies something surprising, the opposite of soporific.