Year: 2020
Country: U.S. (principally)
Subgenre: Lovecraftian
Runtime: 137 minutes
Director: David Prior
Okay, so I am wholeheartedly recommending a film that I admit didn't grab me on my first outing with it. I've since revisited it several times, and have come to really admire it's brand of horror. Based on a Cullen Bunn graphic novel, this Lovecraftian film sneaks up on you with a bit of slow burn and subtle plot twists. It starts off in the Himalayas, which seems a bit random as the film shifts abruptly to the heart of middle America. The shift seems rather pointless as the film progresses as a missing person mystery--and I admit that on first viewing, I didn't get the visual clues imbedded in the film to help properly guide the story. That is why I found it an unsatisfying watch first time out. My fault; not the film, the director or the author's fault. The visuals are subtle, but are not mere "easter eggs," and once you notice them...things get really scary. Like, nightmare scary! In style, the film reminds me a bit of It Follows, only much more frightening and much more unsettling. It has a sophistication lacking in a lot of horrors based on Lovecraftian tropes. I have since come to love the film enough to want to own a copy. Still at nearly two and half hours long, it does at times feel a bit overlong, but it's worth the time spent in the end. If you have not seen it, keep a sharp look out for things like paintings, camera images and the like. If you have seen it and didn't care for it, consider giving it a second chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment