Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films

Shadows off the beaten path
Indies, foreigns, docs and shorts...

On this page: BEFORE DAWN | I SAW THE TV GLOW | YOUR MONSTER

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 19.Jun.24

Before Dawn
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir-prd Jordon Prince-Wright
scr Jarrad Russell
with Levi Miller, Travis Jeffery, Myles Pollard, Peter Sullivan, Stephen Peacocke, Ed Oxenbould, Jason Burch, Tim Franklin, Jordan Dulieu, Paul Walenkamp, Ben Mortley, Kelly Belinda Hammond
release Aus 4.Apr.24,
UK 21.Jun.24, US 19.Jul.24
24/Australia 1h41

Is it streaming?

Fictionalised from true events, this film follows a young man from the sun-baked Australian Outback to the muddy trenches of the Great War. Director Jordon Prince-Wright maintains such a warmly reverential tone that the story only rarely rises above its rather standard anecdotal structure. But there are strongly involving moments, and the slightly amateurish filmmaking, with its uneven pacing and pushy emotions, gives the movie an intriguing edge.

From his rural family farm in 1916, Jim (Miller) joins his friends (Oxenbould and Burch) to travel to the front line in France, determined to do their service as the Anzac forces fight from the trenches. In incessant rain with constant fire from the Germans, Jim is quickly feeling overwhelmed by the sudden violence all around him. As the months and years pass, the charismatic Sgt Beaufort (Pollard) leads a series of missions that are disorienting and nightmarish. And moments of camaraderie with his fellow soldiers are punctuated by sudden onslaughts of bullets and bombs.

Quickly moving from his glaringly bright home to the murky swampiness of the Somme, the film quickly throws Jim into the nastiness of war, especially in nighttime scenes in which it's impossible to see the enemy as they take out close comrades. Jim's low-energy narration feels somewhat irrelevant, but helps to tie the episodic script together into a larger narrative. And his interaction with fellow soldiers, especially the prickly Nickels (Jeffrey), adds some strong texture.

As played by the likeable Miller, Jim's emotional journey has a through-line that holds the interest even if there's nothing very new about his story. Aside from Pollard's jaded sergeant and Jeffrey's bitter Nickels, the men around Jim are largely interchangeable, but sparks of personality appear here and there, and each is played sharply by a cast that's well up for the challenges of several properly harrowing battlefield sequences.

Because the film takes a very traditional approach, it never feels like something we haven't seen many times before. But it's solidly put together to make the very most of what is clearly a limited budget, with impressive set-pieces and authentic characters. And as with most movies about war, the main focus is on both the pointless tragedy and brave resilience of young men who put their lives on the line to fight tyranny and aggression.

themes, language, violence 18.Jun.24

I Saw the TV Glow
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir-scr Jane Schoenbrun
prd Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall
with Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Ian Foreman, Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan, Danielle Deadwyler, Fred Durst, Conner O'Malley, Emma Portner, Madaline Riley, Timothy Allan, Amber Benson
release US 3.May.24,
UK Jun.24 sfl
24/US 1h40

SUNDANCE FILM FEST
BERLIN FILM FEST

Is it streaming?

This surreal movie is tricky to categorise, which is perhaps its greatest strength. Both a coming-of-age drama and sci-fi pastiche centred around a bonkers vintage TV series, it's filmed with a gorgeous sense of light and colour straight from writer-director Jane Schoenbrun's imagination. And the moving and rather darkly powerful story explores how it feels to live outside of mainstream society, never quite knowing how to fit in.

In 1996, 13-year-old Owen (Foreman) meets goth girl Maddy (Lundy-Paine), who introduces him to the cult TV show The Pink Opaque, and its mythology about psychic connections and villains from another dimension. Because it's on so late, and his father (Durst) thinks it's for girls, Owen has to watch the show in secret. Two years later, Owen (now Smith) is shocked when the show is cancelled and Maddy disappears. After a decade passes, Maddy suddenly turns up insisting that he can join her in the world of the show, which is tempting the still-lonely Owen.

Swirling ideas explore identity and belonging, which for Owen hinge around how he is attracted to neither boys nor girls, so feels deeply abnormal. This is multiplied by the painful loss of his loving mother (Deadwyler) and his now-dazed dad. Only the show's wacky premise offers scope to include him. And when he rewatches it many years later, he is surprised at how cheesy it looks now. Schoenbrun cleverly catches this shifting perspective with witty effects and camerawork, plus lots of inventive lighting.

Performances are openhanded and emotional, which pulls us in even if the plot never quite makes sense. Smith is such a likeable, empathetic actor that it's easy to sense his yearning to both fit in and to be accepted for who he is. Lundy-Paine's Maddy has similar issues, and responds with more intense rebellion, which of course feels more dangerous. Other roles are much smaller but have strong impact, including Howard and Jordan, who play the series' stars.

While the storytelling is rather indulgent, taking some big swings that don't connect, the emotional currents that run through the film give it a strongly autobiographical kick of authenticity. Owen knows there's something different about him, and his choice is between making a stand for who he is or quietly getting on with life, living vicariously through TV and cinema. This is something far too many people can identify with, and watching Owen's offbeat journey, as crazy as it is, might offer some hope.

themes, language, violence 4.Jun.24

Your Monster
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir-scr Caroline Lindy
prd Kira Carstensen, Melanie Donkers, Kayla Foster, Caroline Lindy, Shannon Reilly
with Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Meghann Fahy, Kayla Foster, Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Lana Young, Taylor Trensch, Brandon Victor Dixon, Megan Haley, Brian McCarthy, Kasey Bella Suarez
release US Jan.24 sff,
UK Jun.24 sfl
24/US 1h38

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

Is it streaming?

Mixing comedy, horror, romance and personal drama, this film by its very nature has an uneven tone. At least it's consistently engaging, recounting a funny-freaky narrative that takes on loneliness, ambition and empowerment. But much of the story and many of the bigger moments feel gimmicky due to the way they play on perceptions and fantasies. This means that the themes resonate even if the characters and situations don't.

In New York, Laura (Barrera) is recovering from cancer surgery when her boyfriend Jacob (Donovan), with whom she has been developing a Broadway musical to star in, unceremoniously dumps her. Her friend Mazie (Foster) helps her move into her empty childhood home, but the loneliness begins to get to her, especially when Jacob hires rising star Jackie (Fahy) to take over her lead role. Then Laura discovers her childhood monster (Dewey) still living in her closet. Suddenly she's not alone, but can she trust this furry man who seems to know her far too well?

By claiming that this is based on a "true-ish" story, filmmaker Lindy playfully reminds us not to take everything at face value, which helps us go with the offbeat flow of scenes. Much of the interaction is infused with comical banter, while the nastiness gets properly grisly, right up to a rather bone-chilling big finale that's beautiful and horrible at the same time. So even if the tone wobbles along the way, this is bold filmmaking that never flinches.

Barrera is likeable as the plucky, talented Laura, although a lot of this has to do with the sympathy raised due to her illness and ill treatment by Jacob. Because Laura is otherwise a bit entitled and self-serving. But her barbed chemistry with Dewey's monster is a lot of fun, with surges of romcom energy in the way they lock horns before beginning to fall for each other, leading to some crowd-pleasing comical moments and some nice emotional moments as well. The surrounding cast is excellent as well, adding plenty of edge to each role.

Because the narrative is structured in such a formulaic way, the plot's various turns never quite come as a surprise, although the way things play out is infused with impressively black humour. And the script also attempts to make some important points about the vagaries of romantic entanglements, the harsh truths about show business and destabilising effects of powerful emotions. It's also just a bit of ramped-up fun.

themes, language, violence 4.Jun.24

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL