Shadows on the Wall | Arthouse Films

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On this page: THE DEAD THING | LADYBUG | STARVE ACRE

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL | Last update 4.Sep.24

The Dead Thing
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir Elric Kane
scr Webb Wilcoxen, Elric Kane
prd Matt Mercer, Monte Yazzie
with Blu Hunt, Ben Smith-Petersen, John Karna,Katherine Hughes, Joey Millin, Brennan Mejia, Aerial Washington, Emily Joy Lemus, Sally Sum, Josh Marble, Siobhan Fogarty, Keylan Jaundoo
release UK Aug.24 frf
24/US 1h34

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Moody and mysterious, this dramatic horror opens as an introspective exploration of yearning before shifting into something much darker. It's beautifully shot and edited to evoke emotions that remain deep under the slick, serene surface, and the creepy plot allows for cool physical acting and effects trickery, plus echoes of big ideas as well. So as things turn scary, director-cowriter Elric Kane has already drawn us into the story.

Using a hookup app to deal with loneliness, Alex (Hunt) has a series of meaningless encounters before she actually connects with the shy, sweet and soulful Kyle (Smith-Petersen). So she's thrown when he ghosts her. She tries to find him, but she learns that he was killed in an accident. A few months later, he pops up on the app again, so she makes another date and freaks out when he turns up. And things quickly spiral confusingly out of control, while in her office chatty new guy Chris (Karna) manages to make Alex smile.

People around Alex add their own levels of tension to her life, from her colleague Mark (Millin), who has a crush on her, to her flatmate Cara (Hughes), who's having a bad breakup with her fiance (Mejia). Meanwhile, Kyle begins to react to the realisation that he's actually dead, leading to moments of unnerving ghostly violence. And when Alex gives in to his presence, she's frightened that time begins to slip away from her.

Often lost in her thoughts, Alex is played by Hunt as a young woman who longs for a romantic connection, even if it might be of the supernatural variety. But then how could she resist the dreamy, muscled Kyle? Smith-Petersen's performance is understated enough to bridge Kyle's confusing personality swings, although it's never quite clear why he so wildly shifts between gently adorable and murderous. Meanwhile, Karna is terrific as the genuinely nice guy who gets a twist of his own.

Visually, the film cleverly uses earbuds to signify privacy and hidden secrets. Watching Alex lose her connection to her real life adds a knowing angle to the film, becoming an offbeat parable about the junction of self-delusion and codependence in a toxic relationship. This makes much of what happens surprisingly disturbing, adding a serious edge to the filmmakers' resourceful ways of making the audience squirm. And they're surprisingly willing to get very grim indeed.

themes, language, sexuality 25.Aug.24

Ladybug
Review by Rich Cline | 3/5

dir Tim Cruz
prd Anthony Del Negro
scr Anthony Del Negro, Tim Cruz
with Anthony Del Negro, Scout Taylor-Compton, Zachary Roozen, Lisa Thornhill, Cory Hart, Charlene Tilton, Nancy Stephens, Matteo Wasescha, Brett Lapeyrouse, Logan Shepherd, Sean Ramey, Steven A Miller
release UK Aug.24 frf
24/US 1h47

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Packed with creepy and insinuating touches, this thriller evokes impending nastiness from the start. Filmmaker Tim Cruz creates a haunting atmosphere that takes its time revealing a complex web of secrets. So while the script moves in fits and starts, peppered with moments that perhaps don't quite ring true, there's more than enough going on here to hold the attention. So the ghostly goings on become involving and, yes, haunting.

Arriving at his family's cabin in small-town Pennsylvania, the handsome young artist Grayson (Del Negro) is freaked out by strange noises and glimpses of people outside, but it helps when handyman Sawyer (Roozen) arrives to get the water and lights working. Grayson is working on paintings for an upcoming show at a New York gallery run by his friend Wendy (Taylor-Compton), who pops in periodically to check on him. An aspiring painter, Sawyer offers to pose for a portrait. But their friendship doesn't progress as Grayson hopes. And there's a faceless killer on the prowl.

Grayson is recovering from a bad breakup, so his emotions are all over the place, but he's also open to starting something new, possibly with Sawyer, if he works out that he can trust him. Witty, everyday touches keep the film feeling earthy and natural, even as inexplicable things kick off, such as a sketches and paintings Grayson does in his sleep. There's also a menacing leather-jacketed man lurking around the edges. And yes, ladybugs feature in the narrative.

Even if the energy levels are a bit low, the performances are sharp and expressive. Del Negro has a magnetic presence in the lead role as a guy struggling to make sense of his life when something even more inexplicable comes along. His connection with Roozen's Sawyer is warm and realistic, played nicely to create earthy textures. Taylor-Compton spends much of the time panicking about something, but adds a strong kick.

The plot grows increasingly nutty as the film progresses, with twists and turns that feel somewhat undercooked as everything cranks up to a tense climactic encounter. If the filmmaking feels a bit choppy and awkward, it's also effective in the way it maintains the unnerving nastiness. Along the way, the script touches on several issues, from artist's block to parental rejection and homophobic violence. And the ultimate lesson is about confronting your demons.

themes, language, violence 16.Aug.24

Starve Acre
Review by Rich Cline | 3.5/5

dir-scr Daniel Kokotajlo
prd Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Emma Duffy
with Matt Smith, Morfydd Clark, Arthur Shaw, Erin Richards, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder, Melanie Kilburn, Robert Goodale, Roger Barclay, Matilda Firth, Daisy Exley, Rocco Haynes
release US 26.Jul.24,
UK 6.Sep.24
23/UK BBC 1h38

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Sharply filmed with a terrific sense of the land and the history it holds, this British folk thriller quickly gets under the skin by putting sympathetic people in an inexplicable situation that ripples with unseen menace. Played with nuance by a terrific cast, the film grows increasingly insinuating and unnerving. Writer-director Daniel Kokotajlo skilfully cranks up the unsettling vibes using elemental flourishes and shockingly nasty plot points.

In rural 1970s Yorkshire, history professor Richard (Smith) and his wife Juliette (Clark) worry when their young son Owen (Shaw) begins violently acting out. Juliette thinks he's hearing a voice telling him to do things, perhaps because of the folk-tales their neighbour Gordon (Gilder) tells him about a wood sprite called Jack Grey and a grim local past. While Richard excavates for relics on the farm, he and Juliette find a distance growing between them. And both are having very freaky private visions. Then a large hare turns up that's behaving very strangely indeed.

Cutaways of sinews and blood add a visceral intensity, as if what's happening here is taking place at some kind of cellular level. Both Richard and Juliette have very strong connections to this place, and this is reflected in the earth, sky and the shifting weather. Juliette also has an odd visit from a medium (Kilburn), while Richard finds a creepy book his father wrote about the pagan history of the family farm Starve Acre, which legends say houses an ancient entrance to the spirit world.

Smith and Clark create deeply emotive characters whose distinct issues mingle together in a fascinating ripple of love and resentment. Even when they are engaged in harsh recriminations or just ignoring each other, the connection between them feels powerful. So it's easy to identify with their surging emotions. Along with Gilder and Kilburn, the strong supporting cast includes Richards as Juliette's worried sister and Emms as Richard's curious colleague.

As in his superb 2017 drama Apostasy, Kokotajlo is knowingly exploring the nature of belief, in this case a mix of intellectualism, folklore and wish-fulfilment, all complicated by the things people are going through as well as their own personal histories. In the end, the film may not have a lot to say about all of this, but the way it touches on big ideas is darkly provocative. And it's also a finely chilling horror movie.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 3.Sep.24

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See also: SHADOWS FILM FESTIVAL