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With the camera only on her, Watts delivers a raw, wrenching performance as a desperate mother grappling with past trauma and a difficult relationship with her son as she tries to find out if he's okay. Out of breath as she runs along roads and paths through the trees, her tenacity adds a thrilling resonance, even as it feels somewhat heightened cinematically. Gobbo and Maltby are only briefly introduced, although Gobbo gets a strong final sequence. Other cast members provide mostly helpful voices down the line.

Screenwriter Sparling piles so much into the script that it's difficult to identify with Amy's ordeal. She is juggling so many enormous issues at the same time that central themes are tricky to find within the rather preachy swirl of grief, fear, anger, guilt, frustration and panic. And there are also several somewhat corny twists, such as the way she solves the entire case while running through a forest. Still, as a one-woman tour de force for Watts, this is definitely worth a look.

themes, language

16.Feb.22

With his strong presence emerging through quietly spoken dialog, Von Sydow conveys a powerful sense of a lifetime haunted by these experiences. He adds gravity to the entire movie, even with relatively little screen time compared to the actors in the period sequences. They all give nicely understated performances as complex people living through a nightmare. The standout is Skiadi, who brings a particularly steely attitude that gives the film an emotional core. And Krige is luminous in a late sequence.

All of this feels vaguely familiar, echoing other films that tell stories based on newly uncovered evidence of past horrors. Even with the passage of many decades, the perpetrators shoundn't get away with their crimes. These filmmakers certainly don't hold back in depicting the grotesque violence, thankfully without dwelling on it. It's a strikingly well-made film, and it carries an important message that remembering is more important than paying money to make things better. And true justice isn't limited by time.

themes, violence

16.Feb.22

Energetic and very watchable, lead actors Jarvis, Harrison, Austen and Cahill are best in the looser improv-style scenes, bantering back and forth about their rather heightened situation while revealing some intriguing relational textures between them. So the more explosive craziness is fun to watch. On the other hand, they struggle in the more plot-based moments, with rather stiff dialog that feels like it's coming from a screenwriter rather than the characters. Skilled veterans like Wadia (as the housemother) and Lee (as an exploitative TV host) add some edge.

With its uneven pacing and initially underwhelming horror elements, it's doubtful that this will become a classic. But there's more to the film than expected, with several intriguing thematic textures woven in along the way. This includes the talented-but-sidelined Black filmmaker Zauna noting that Jonty will have no trouble becoming successful since he's already rich, beautiful and white. And there are also knowing references to the wishy-washy nature of social media fans. And Although Harben seems more interested in witty thrills.

themes, language, violence

18.Mar.22