Anyone else find the first half dull? [spoilers]

The opening, with the fire and rebirth, tell us that what is about to happen isn't real, or at least not literal. The next hour, almost 90 minutes is an odd thing where a lot happens that is important to us understanding the allegory but not in a very interesting way. I found myself pausing frequently, about every 10-15 minutes, to take a break, do something else, and come back. The film is exceptionally well crafted, the sound gave my speakers a good workout, the casting is near perfect, JL was very good, Harris, Pfeiffer, and Bardem were better but had less to do. It was sold as a horror film but it's really a fantasy thriller so it failed to meet that expectation. I'm not religious, nor do I believe in the supernatural so it held nothing for me there. Things really pick up in the last 30-40 minutes and I'm glad I watched the movie but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I'm not a film student but can tell it is well made and I suspect it's more interesting for that reason to students of film or those who really like to deep dive into allegories.