Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Savage State

Edmond (Bruno Todeschini) The Patriarch of a well to do French family that made their fortune importing French perfumes in 1863 Missouri declares that he and his family have nothing to fear from the advancing Union soldiers because they are French and neutral in the Civil War. His theory falls apart when Union soldiers turn up at a local Soiree threatening the pampered aristocracy forcing the family to flee for Paris. The family has three daughters all well known to society and ready for marriage Abigaelle ( Maryne Bertieaux) who was betrothed to Monsieur de Lisle (Gregoire Colin) killed in a deal gone wrong with Victor (Kevin Janssens) a put together and resourceful  brute at his side. Victor tells Edmond the news of Mr. de Lisle's fate. The former is hired by the latter to take his family cross country to leave the U.S. for France. 

Along their journey, they encounter the architect of Victor's earlier deal gone bad Bettie (Kate Moran) who shares a past with Victor. Victor grows close to the youngest daughter Ester (Alice Isaaz) who along with their sisters ditched the fancy gowns and jewelry for more practical clothing . They lean to shoot and ride horses prepared to do what it takes to survive. 

It's always of interest when a foreigner presents their vision of the American Wild West. David Perrault focuses on a time when the French were still prominent in the south especially in Missouri and Louisiana and the language was regularly spoken at home and in society. His story chronicles a harsh journey across the American West , through mountain passages and into the cold of winter. Abigail feels the effect of the trip the most while the family matriarch keeps a watchful eye on the family maid Layla  (Armellle Abibou) who she believes is too close to her youngest telling her stories and the tenants of voodoo and to her husband who she thing got up to no good in his locked study. 

Savage State is the story of a family that flees the trappings of their gentile southern lifestyle when threatened by the new rules and laws enacted by the Union conquerors. There are elements of jealousy, violence, and suffering on full display that leaves no character untouched. Many of the central players appear one way at the outset, grow during the journey then evolve again later in the story. It's a different take of a fall from the grace to relying on a strong based will for survival in a Western setting guided Parisian French ideals. 

*** Out of 4

Savage State | David Perrault | France/Canada/Belgium | 2019 | 118 Minutes.

Tags: French Aristocrats, St. Charles, Missouri, Perfume, Whiskey, Formal Ball, Union Solider, Paris, Voodoo, Ambush, Last Stand, Cross, Grace. 

  

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Undergods

Dystopian and post apocalyptic the first words that come to mind when the opening frames of Undergods appear on screen. K (Johann Myers) and Z (Geza Rohring) drive their box truck through town looking for dead bodies or anything of value that they can salvage or sell. They appear to be the only two people out in this desolate world so they keep each other entertained by telling stories and drinking god awful homebrew. The first story features Ron and Ruth (Michael Gould and Hayley Carmichael) who live mundane lives in a high rise flat that has no distinctive features except for broken blinds that somebody needs to fix. They are interrupted by a visitor Harry (Ned Denny) who claims that he is from a different floor but has locked himself out which is odd as Ron and Ruth thought they were the only occupants of the building. He wants to borrow a phone to call building management. Unable to reach them Ron invites him to stay. Harry immediately begins to move in on Ruth who likes the attention. The visitor turns the couples world upside down before leaving then engaging in one final confrontation with Ron.

 Director Chino Moya's anthology is of different peoples worlds headed towards decay but those that are better off getting there slower. The utilitarian high rise that Ron and Ruth then later Octavius (Khalid Abdalla) and his daughter Horatia (Maddison Whealan) who stumble upon the final fate of Ron occupy could be the same as those in the setting where K and Z operate but at a different stage of decay. Moya shot in Eastern Europe to create his world. An area where there is no shortage of abandoned cities especially in the old Soviet Union. His color palette is deliberately cold, blues, grays, and the endless concrete from the decrepit buildings and the rubble around them serve these series of stories well. 

As Horatia settles into bed she wants a story from her dad Octavius. He begins but she is not impressed so he starts into another a more adult tale. Hans (Eric Godon) is a wealthy businessman who has no other outside interest except the well being of his daughter Maria (Tanya Reynolds). A foreigner (Jan Bijvoet) visits with  an extraordinary set of plans that Hans downplays and dismisses. But first, he wants a night to review the originals just to be sure. The foreigner is aware of the double cross and kidnaps Maria. A meeting is arranged on the wrong side of town where Hans and Maria's new boyfriend Johann (Tadhg Murphy) are tricked ending up in the Dystopian world occupied by K and Z. There Johann bumps into Sam (Sam Louwych) on his last day at the labour camp before his release. This blends into the final tale of Rachel (Katie Dickie) and Dominic (Adrian Rawlins) the latter a successful engineer who has been providing for Rachel and his step son Will (Jonathan Case) ever since Ruth's husband disappeared. Dominic returned home from work one evening to find Sam sitting in his home that has all of a sudden no longer his. 

Underdogs raise many questions but is light on providing the answers and that's a good thing. Moya uses encounters that seem random to link the stories together. They all also seem to share an interloper into two people's relationship sparking a down fall. In the case of Hans and Maria, there are two. The targets of the interlopers appear to be the figure that benefited from society as it existed. Is that a coincidence or are they agents of change needed to end this world view and start a new one. 

**** Out of 4.

Undergods | Chino Moya | UK/Belgium / Estonia/ Serbia /Sweden | 2020 | 92 Minutes.  

Dystopian future,  Bedtime story, Forced Labour, Scavenging, Schematics, Blinds, Coffee, Birthday Party, Karaoke.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - The Columnist

Femke Boot (Katja Herbers) is a columnist for a Dutch publication. Her subject matter is usually light fair and not political. She writes a column against the Christmas Tradition of Black Pete where people dress up in blackface to represent St. Nicholas' traditional helper. The reaction of the internet is swift and harsh with trolls lining up to hurl vulgar insults her way all with variations on the themes of her killing herself. Boot goes on a local talk show to speak on the matter and is opposed by the imposing figure of popular writer Steven Dodd (Bram van der Kelen). Her opponent attacking her at every turn but at the end admits it's an act to sell more books. Boot is a writer herself with a current title due but she's suffering at the moment from a large case of writer's block. 

As she sits in her study staring at a blank page her neighbour Arjen Tol (Rein Hofman) is working on a construction project right outside her window. Jumping on social media as she often does she finds that he is one of the trolls attacking her. As the first sign of our Protagonist's violent side, Femke destroys the fence that Tol just built then when he is he is working on the roof just outside her window she opens her's, climbs outside and casually pushes him off the roof. After the act she returns to her laptop struggling to keep up as the words flow out for her new book. Killing trolls is her new muse. 

Director Ivo van Aart brings Daan Windhorst writing to the screen. The theme: why can't people today disagree and stay civil. Femke can be viewed as anti-male as all of her targets are men.  The counter to that is her budding relationship with Steven Dodd. His writing is the total opposite of her own, he tells her to never read the comments and to stay off of twitter. His image is black clothing, black eyeliner, black nail polish, and rings. But his mother paints his nails, he loves to cook, and is really good with Femke's daughter Anna (Clair Porro) who is fighting her own battles for free speech at school. 

The Columnist  represents acting on the thought that anyone has had to negative reaction to their work on line. They would like to just once find that person and confront them for them to see how that feels. Here Femke takes it to the ultimate extreme resulting in a creative surge that sees her meeting her publishing deadline and a book launch that creates a stir. 

*** Out of 4

The Columnist| Ivo van Aart | Netherlands | 2019 | 86 Minutes. 

Tags: Talk Show, Black Pete, Internet Trolls, Serial Killer, Free Speech,Garden Tools,Twitter, Book Launch, Cake. 

Fantasia Film festival ' 20 Film Review - Sanzaru

Evelyn (Aina Dumlao) is the live-in caregiver to Dena Regan (Jayne Taini) in rural Texas. Ms. Regan is more or less bedridden with Evelyn having to assist with getting up to sit in a chair, navigate her walker, and with all bathroom activities. Evelyn's nephew Amos (Jon Viktor Capuz) has come to stay temporary. He is enrolled in school locally but currently facing suspension. He wants to be a boxer and is always out for a run in the community. The family is reliant on the post office for mail and news. Evelyn goes there regularly to gather everything meant for the Regan home. Dena's son Clem (Justin Arnold) an Afghanistan vet lives on the property in a trailer. Evelyn can see him from the kitchen window wandering around the property drinking beer. He was his mother's main caregiver before the burden became too much and Evelyn was brought in. 

Something is not right in the home. Noises can be heard over the 80's era intercom system and Evelyn appears to be talking to someone in her room. She is also not happy that Amos is present in the home accusing him of stealing a pendant going so far as to question him directly on the issue. Amos is also suffering from heath issues of his own. He often vomits at the end of his runs. Evelyn wants him to pay attention to is schoolwork but he is not interested. Evelyn's sister calls and the pair argue over Amos' living arrangements. Evelyn has something important that she needs to tell him that her sister pushes her to do. 

Sanzaru translates from Japanese to the three monkeys there is even a gaming company that uses a monkey as their logo. In the traditional sense, the Monkeys are visuals for see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. A hint towards Regan's family secrets buried in the past that have resurfaced in the house and though Dena increasingly unstable mental state.  Mr. Sanzaru is also the name on many of the items in a Post office P.O. Box belonging to the Regan's that Evelyn  discovers. 

Director  Xia Magnus uses several elements to illustrate the reach from beyond into the home. Dena cockatiel acts as a conduit and glows brightly when the spiritual elements strongly  appear. Amos also continues be become sicker in the home drifting towards a comatose state. Then there is Dena's accidents and wanderings one incident in particular that will take hold of the viewer when it plays out on screen. The last and probably the best tool is Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs' score to raise anxiety levels and to indicate that a presence has firmly taken hold. 

Sanzaru is a story of family secrets and how a home will hold the echos of evil doing that has occurred on the premises. Ani Dumalo turns in an excellent performance as Evelyn maintains her calm and professional manner despite all that is occurring around her. As she deals with the members of the Regan family learning of their buried ugly past she also has some secrets of her own that need to be confronted and set right. 

*** Out of 4.

Sanzaru | Xia Magnus | U.S.A. | 2020 | 100 Minutes. 

Tags: Caregiver, School Suspension, Rural Texas, P.O. Box, Cockatiel, Intercom, Bed Sores, Hidden Room, Three Monkeys.

 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Jumbo

Jeanne (Noemie Merlant) is an outcast in her community. She dresses very plainly does not seem to have any friends except for her mom (Emmanuelle Bercot) and she works for the cleanup crew for the local fair. At home, she spends most of her time in her room building miniature mechanical contraptions amongst a see of LED lights. She is clearly more comfortable with inanimate objects than humans. As she turns on her devices she closes her eyes seeming swept aware to another plane achieving pure happiness as evidenced by the smile on her face. 

Jeanne is often alone in the park at night as she cleans up. She ventures into the control room to switch on the fairs newest attraction the tilt-a-whirl ride. She approaches the ride inspects and cleans it then gets a response. The ride appears to answer her questions displaying different colours for a yes and no answer. Jeanne continues to end her night at the ride that she has nicknamed Jumbo where the dialogue continues even with the controls turned off developing into something more. 

Object sexuality or Objectophilia is a documented condition that can often be traced back to childhood trauma or when an object is a reminder of past pleasurable sexual activity. The film has a line: Inanimate objects have a soul which attaches itself to ours and forces it to feel love. Jeanne repeats this phrase over and over to herself as her relations ship with Jumbo moves from conversational to physical. Her mother of course sees this as something very wrong with Jeanne reveals the news of Jumbo to her. She assumed that her daughter was romantically involved with the Marc (Bastien Bouillon) the Manager of the park who has taken an interest in her often giving her rides to and from work. 

Director Zoe Wittock took a rarely discussed subject animism (objects have souls,intelligence, feelings and can communicate) as the basis for her debut film. Her lead actress Noemie Merlant fresh off her international success in Portrait of A Lady on Fire fully commits to the role where any level of doubt would make the production look silly. The narrative builds momentum up until the end of the second act where Jeanne makes a choice that seems out of character then the outside pressure to conform outweighs the earlier effort to be bold in the final act of the piece. 

**1/2 Out of 4.

Jumbo | Zoe Wittock | Belgium / France/ Luxembourg | 93 Minutes.

Tags: Amusement Park, Janitor,Night Shift, Tilt-A-Whirl, Object Sexuality, Animism,  Objectophilia.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - The Dark and the Wicked

Two estranged siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) return to their family farm as their father is days from dying. Before their arrival, their mother (Julie Oliver-Toucstone) had warned them not to come. Upon their arrival, their mother is distant annoyed that they did not heed her warning spending her time when not at her father's bedside at the kitchen sink endlessly chopping vegetables in the company of an invisible presence. As the adult children settle into the family home they grow to realize that the air seems a bit different than they remembered, the goats in the barn seem more restless and the chimes seem to go off more often in the wind. There dad (Michael Zagst) has no reaction or recognition of them when they enter the room. The attending Nurse who mostly sits beside his bed and knits does not have any insight to offer on his situation.

Director Bryan Bertino who established his footing in the horror genre with 2008's The Strangers now has established familiar elements that appear in his films. He likes to work with shadows and silhouetted adversaries lurking about. Here the evil comes in forms of the supposed innocent. Berito is also adept at creating an atmosphere that makes both the characters and the audience uneasy. An isolated Texas farm with impending death looming serves to hammer home those feelings. 

Marin Ireland is the heart of the film as Louise. She is obviously more successful that her brother and has not readily taken his calls over the years. Rural farm life is something she had left far behind in the rear view. Now she's here amongst the goats and the dust trying to keep it together. With her facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures and movements she brings the audience into the terror she's experiencing. Michael Abbot Jr. is a blue collar family man as Michael whose always checking in with his wife and kids back home. He is not prone to believing in the spiritual but a couple of key events at the family homestead quickly change his mind. Look for Xander Berkeley for a brief but pivotal role as the local Priest. The siblings' mother turned to him in her hour of need and his visits to the homestead brought clarity to the level of evil present in the home. 

The Dark and The Wicked is a study in isolation and grief and the toll it can take on individuals submerged daily into their elements. The family matriarch went from being non-religious to devout. The siblings moved from practical to manic on the point of doing something dramatic based on a feeling that if carried out could not be reversed. Bertino builds the level of terror methodically keeping the audience on edge as the stakes rise in the final act. We are seeing the continued growth of a new player in the genre building the anticipation towards the project he will take on next. 

***1/2 Out of 4.

The Dark and The Wicked | Bryan Bertino | U.S.A. | 2020 | 94 minutes.

Tags: Deathbed, Family Farm, Oxygen, Rural Texas, The Bible, Christian Motifs, Crosses, Journal, Barn, Goats, Sheep, Chair, Wall Phone. 

 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - The Block Island Sound

The forces of nature are at play on Block Island Sound. A small New England fishing community and tourist destination has seen a series of recent strange events. Fish are washing up dead ashore, birds are falling out of the sky and something in the area is having an effect on some residents. Harry (Chris Sheffield) took the death of his mother six months ago very hard even harder than his two  sisters.  He lives in the family home on the Island with his dad Tom (Neville Archambault). His dad has been activating strange lately. Harry finds him frozen statue like in the middle of a task or wakes up to find that he has disappeared all night on the family boat. Harry is concerned thinking that it could be the onset of early Dementia but his dad refuses to see a doctor about his condition. 

Into the picture comes Harry's sister Audry (Michaela McManus)  along with her daughter Emily(Matilda Lawler) and work colleague Paul (Ryan O'Flanagan) they have been brought in to investigate the dead fish washing up on shore as the number approaches 10 tonnes. The trio stay at the family residence where Audry notices the behavior of her father that  puts her brother Henry on the defensive. Tom becomes more erratic ultimately leading to a tragic outcome. His sickness appears to transfer to Harry who begins to suffer from blackouts while starting to hear and see things as well.

The MacManus Brothers have produced a film that is part mystery part environmental, part horror with conspiracy theory and science undertones. The writing gives Audry a lot to do as she has to balance her work, caring for her brother and daughter, while investigating the mysterious events.

Jim Cummings is memorable as Harry's pal Dale. A full on conspiracy theorist by nature he has charts, graphs, and materials documenting the strange occurrences on the island and similar ones around the world. As Harry's symptoms worsen he goes to Dale for advice and to his disbelief, some of his theories may make some sense. Audry takes the more practical route of seeking a medical solution. Harry's treating doctor . Harry's treating doctor reveals the name of a former resident with similar symptoms who now lives total off the grid. Audry makes the trek to pay him a visit to find that his state of mind makes Dale look like an amateur 

The Block Island Sound is a horror-thriller with a strong narrative that will keep audiences off balance  deep into the third act. The brothers present sharp alarming visuals whose images will stay with the viewer long after they have seen the film. There is a lot of content on a small geographical footprint that will keep viewers totally engaged. 

***1/2 Out of 4.

Block Island Sound |  Kevin McManus /Matthew McManus |  U.S.A.| 2020 | 97 Minutes. 

Tags: Fishing Village, Marine Biology, Funeral, Ferry, Fish, Testing, Birds, Deer, Dog, Girl

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Alone

Jessica (Jules Willcox) is packing up her life and moving on. She is a recent widower who has put her whole world into the back of her aged Volvo station wagon with a U-Haul trailer fastened to the back. She was ready to leave her couch behind on the sidewalk but doe to a lack of space a floor to ceiling houseplant suffered the same fate as well. Jessica sets up the GPS on her smartphone then heads out on the road. The Highway is winding mainly two-lane traffic. Jessica is making good time until she comes up behind a slow-moving Jeep Cherokee. She attempts to pass, he speeds up almost running her into a transport truck going the other way. Now he's riding her bumper forcing her to turn off the road. Later that night he drives by as she is pumping gas worried  she pulls into a motel for the night.

Director John Hyams working with writer Mattias Olsson brings to the screen a story the viewer may find themselves frustrated within the opening sections. The Man (Marc Menchaca ) keeps popping up knocking on her window, his arm in a sling trying to engage. Jessica has many opportunities to remover herself from the situation that she just does not take. Eventually, she finds herself  captive in a cabin where her purposefulness begins to kick in as she begins to make the right decisions battling with a man who has done this before in the woods of Oregon.

Federico Verardi's lens captures several crisp driving scenes at night. He takes advantage of the light coming through the solitary window in Jessica's basement prison in the cabin but it's his work in the forest capturing the details for the foliage the texture of the leaves and the thickness and wetness of the ground, mud, and clay. He also employs a wonderful technique of changing the point of focus from Jessica to other travelers stopping at a rest stop as she has a cigarette smoke billowing building momentum until the inevitability of The Man's appearance.

Jules Willcox is in just about every frame of the film as Jessica. She is quite naive at first, slow to catch on an grasp the urgency of the situation but undergoes a change locked in the basement of the cabin. Once in the woods she builds courage, begins to think on her feet as her natural survival instincts kick in. She becomes a formidable foe for Sam who sees her as weak as any of his past victims to his detriment 

Alone has some high points of suspense, conflict, and sadness as our protagonist continues to grieve over the loss of her partner. However, the story has some dips and some pacing issues that could lose some viewers. Menchaca of Ozark fame does not fit the mold as the tormentor which could be an advantage but the pivotal moment and how they get there misses the mark especially if Jessica is dealing with a seasoned killer. 

**1/2 Out of 4

Alone | John Hyams | U.S.A. | 2020 | 98 Minutes.

Tags: Widower, U-Haul, Moving, G.P.S.,The Road, Road Rage, Kidnapping, Prisoner, Puncture Wound, River, Rapids, Hunter, Fight or Flight, Helicopter, Goat Cheese and Honey.

  

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Rom

 Rom (Tran Ahn Khoa) is a 14-year-old street kid that lives practically on a rooftop in a poor tenement section in Ho Chi Min City. At night he draws pictures of his mom on the roof along with writing down number combinations for his illegal job as a runner for the residents of the poor community who pin their hopes on hitting the lottery to solve all of their woes. The profession is dangerous with rivals around every corner trying to get the numbers into the Lottery Dealers first who in turn places the formal bet with the bookies and if the numbers don't win or he doesn't get them in there is no commission  with a good chance of a beating by his clients blamed for every loss. Rom has a main rival Phuc (Nguyen Phan Ahn Tu) who is ruthless and trusted by no one. But if Rom does not appear (often by Phuc's doing) they will bet with him without hesitation. 

               

Writer-Director Tran Than Huy brings the audience into the seedy sections of the Vietnam capital. The streets are crowded, roads as common as small canals, residence small meaning the inhabitants flow into the street. The daily lottery when the numbers are announced 4:30 P.M. sharp encompasses their hopes and dreams. The two rivals at the centre of the piece scale sides of buildings, run along terraces, hop on and off the back of buses in a parakeet like dance to deliver their slips of paper on time. However, there is a real downside to this industry. It is illegal, people get ripped off, the cops are lurking around every corner ready to shut things down. On top of everything in Rom's neighborhood, the greedy landlords of his embattled community are measuring the size of their homes with a plan to run out the residence to develop the area. 

Rom's hopes are to earn enough money to find his parents. He often rests on the street across from the now abandoned apartment buildings where he used to live. His parents had told him to wait in that spot as they would be right back but he has not seen them since. He takes a beating for his job is emotionally bruised and scarred but maintains his optimism and hope in the face of all the adversity thrown his way.

Rom is a story that is the lived experiences of poor people all over the world. Lotteries have long been know as a tax on the poor. A chance to think about escaping your situation but those hopes are dashed when your numbers are not announced but given the alternative, the locals are willing to borrow money to take their shot again the next week. But if that debt gets too high extreme measures could result.  Director Tran Than Huy is using his lens to tell a story that might affect some change. It's a bold effort stocked with physical, dramatic, and engaging performances making it a must to watch.

**** Out of Four.

Rom | Tran Thanh Huy | Vietnam | 2019 | 79 Minutes. 

Tags: Lottery, Runners, Debts, Lottery Dealers, Bookies, Ho Chi Min City, Lucky Numbers. 

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Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - PVT Chat

Jack (Peter Vac) spends most of his time inside his first floor flat in New York City. His job is to make money gambling online. His specialty is Black Jack but he will dabble in roulette on occasion. Jack's other obsession is frequenting Cam Girl sites. He logs on finds the girls he likes gives them tokens as tribute wanting to know more about them and their lives. He comes across Scarlet (Julia Fox) a San Francisco based cam girl who soon becomes his favourite. She's a dom who calls him her slave. He sticks out his tongue near the computer screen for her to butt out her smoke. Jack asks for more private chats, spends more time with her asking more personal questions unit he sees her one day in a store in New York City. 

PVT Chat is a very 2020 film. People are spending more time with their computers and online. Now with the pandemic, individuals are even more isolated. Writer-Director, Ben Hozie taps into a couple of topics that are staples of today's world online poker and looking for sexual fulfillment online. His star Julia Fox of Uncut Gems fame smolders on the screen as Scarlet. The dialogue between her and Jack pinpoints her best features as she extracts more money from her client but slowly becomes more entwined with him as their relationship grows. Hozie also uses the seedier side of New York as a character in the film. The grainy look and kinetic pace plus the appearance of Fox and Safdie Brothers regular Buddy Duress as Larry remind one of the vibes of a Safdie Brothers film.

It turns out Scarlet was lying about her personal life, relationship status, where she lives, and her true intentions to Jack. Jack seems caught off guard as he discovers these truths; quite naive for someone who's a regular in the sex trade world and not shy about spinning the occasional yarn himself. 

Julia Fox continues to sharpen her acing chops with this meaty roll as a Dominatrix cam girl demanding obedience as she forcefully humiliates her clients which is diametrically opposed to how she acts, is perceived and reacted to by those in her personal life. The aforementioned Buddy Duress as Larry and Kevin Moccia as Will provide key supporting relationships to Jack. Their friendship spawns from a chance meeting. Jack is woken up one morning by Will painting his rented flat. Will introduces Jack to Larry with  the memorable phrase that his buddy Jack would love to get some tips on online gambling if he is not currently in jail. 

PVT Chat is a modern film that touches on many subjects that are front and center in 2020. It will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Cam from 2018 that also played Fantasia However, it's less about violence and the mechanisms of camming itself.  Its a getting to know you story that's based on online financial transactions. A far cry from men and women meeting at a church social to find a mate from days gone by.

***1/2 Out of 4

PVT Chat | Ben Hozie | U.S.A.| 2020 | 86 Minutes. 

Tags: Cam Girls,Online Gambling, Black Jack, BSDM, Manhattan, Chinatown, Art Instillation, College Tuition, Play House, Paris, Tokens, Tribute, Fantasy, Reality, San Francisco.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Unearth

George Lomacks (Marc Blucas) mechanics business on the family farm is not going well. He hardly has any customers and the ones that he does only want to pay pennies on the dollar for the work. His youngest daughter Kim (Brooke Sorenson) has just had a baby of her own and the father is not in the picture. While his oldest Heather (Rachel McKeon) has just returned from school on a scholarship is immediately concerned once she sees  the state of the family farm. Their neighbours the Dolans have three generations working their cornfields.  Matriarch Kathryn (Adrienne Barbeau) works the land hard knowing the farming business inside out keeping a close eye on the new enemy the big farming conglomerates looking to buy you out to grow Frankenstein seeds on your land or set up fracking that will change the plate structure underground and affect the water table.

George However does not have the luxury to hold out with the bills mounting and his family teetering on the brink. He agrees to strike a deal that appears good upfront but the fine print exposes hidden charges and expenses that all come out of his end and not the companies. The result of his family having betrayed his neighbours, endured the dust, noise, pollution and general upheaval for the expectation of that first check feel hollow once the net per month number is known. 

                                  

Directors John C Lyons and Dorota Sweis film focuses on the environmental and personal impact signing a deal with a mega-conglomerate can have. They prey on farming communities at their weakness present their generous offer then the former proud family becomes a clog in the chain their land now an industrial worksite. The script penned by Lyons and Kelsey Goldberg takes the story in a more sinister direction. The fracking has released something buried deep within the land. The substance getting into the water supply, drinking water and even finding its way into the  foodstuff of Kim's young child. 

Being skeptical in the face of an offer that is too good to be true and aware of the potential effect on your land, the community, and beyond are the lesson the emanate  throughout Unearthed. A quiet close nit farming community is transferred  quickly into a commercial drilling zone with heavy trucks, machinery, and massive rig dominating the roadways and the skyline. Generational family ties are fractured, the health of the residents put in jeopardy in the hopes of a payoff that often is not what is expected and if the disappointment is only financial that's a good thing as the film shows a much worse alternative. 

*** Out of Four.

Unearth | John C. Lyons/ Dorota Swies | U.S.A. | 2020 | 94 Minutes. 

Tags: Fracking, Corn Farm, Mechanic Shop, Teen Mom, Contract, Water Table, Photography.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Slaxx

Envisioned as a send-up to consumerism, first world exploitation, society disposable nature, and the dopamine hit of a new purchase Director Eliza Kephart attacks these societal issues thought a rampage in a closing store by a pair of homicidal jeans. CCC Canadian Cotton Clothiers bill themselves as different from all the rest. Their products are not made in sweatshops, are organically sourced, and care about the overall wellness of its employees and loyal customers. Into this world steps Libby (Romane Denis) dripping with naive enthusiasm having wished to work at CCC ever since she was 16. She's is haired to help with the new release of the coveted Super Shaper Jeans that will mold to our body whether you are 5 pounds over or underweight. Libby's first indication that her new employer is not as perfect as she thought occurs when she is forced to this season's clothing meaning she has to buy new clothing on the spot but is denied an employee discount as technically she is not officially an employee until 12:01 A.M. the next day.

The company founder appears to give a pep talk to the troops ahead of the store going into lockdown to assure no leaks before the big release. Renowned Your Tube Influencer  Payton Jules (Erica Anderson) is on her way for Midnight to promote the jeans but more importantly herself. The only hitch is that the jeans are alive. The sad backstory of a tragedy in the cotton fields in far away in India where the cotton is picked closes the loop. Top Sales associate Jemma (Hanneke Talbot) grabs a pair ahead of time that turn on her splitting her in two. Next in line super seller Hunter (Jessica B. Hill) goes to investigate, finds he jeans laying on the floor struggles to put them on then is twisted into inhuman pretzel-like positions by the pants dispatching her as well. 

Director Eliza Kephart alongside her friend and writer Patricia Gomez came up for the idea for the film years ago a road trip discussing words that they despised. Slacks came up leading to the idea of the film, first conceptualized as taking place in a town then narrowed to a ultra-exclusive one brand chain store ala The Gap, Urban Outfitters or Banana Republic equipped with staff on headsets constantly communicating to each other the state of everything on-premise, the company slogans and the cult-like dedication to the brand and company policy. There is no CGI here; the jeans are manipulated by puppeteers in green screen attire that peaks when the rampage pauses as the jeans are compelled to dance to a Bollywood tune. 

Slaxx is a fun romp that hits all the beats one would expect from a bonkers idea of a pair of jeans coming to life and slaughtering the staff and customers who are at the end of a cycle that sees poor and underage contractors working long hours in challenging conditions for extremely low wages so first world folks can look good in a pair of jeans and greedy cooperation can make boatloads of money. The blood level is high, the body count impressive, and the imaginative ways that a pair of jeans can kill its intended victim.

***1/2 Out of Four.

Slaxx | Eliza Kephart | Canada | 2020 | 77 Minutes.

Tags: Designer Clothing, Brand Awareness, Organic , No GMO's YouTube Influences, Product Launch, Lock Down, Bollywood Music, Hindi, Super Sale, Consumerism, Exploitation, Child Labour, Door Crasher Sale.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - The Oak Room

Small town Northern Ontario is the setting for a series of stories told in small local bars in Cody Calahan's The Oak Room. The stories are layered with the return of Steve (R.J.Mitte) to his home town after three years to resolve some debts particularity one with Paul (Peter Outerbridge) who footed the entire bill for the former's father's funeral. Paul is closing up his bar on the night of a large snowstorm when a solitary figure comes down the steps sporting a ski mask. The visitor turns out to be Steve who announces that he's been away drifting for the last  3 years after dropping out of school. Instead of offering money to pay his debt, he will tell Paul a story. Since they have an hour to kill because the other guy he owes Stelley is on his way. The story is about the Oak Room and what happened there the Saturday before the unbeknownst to Paul will be of critical interest to him.

The narrative shifts to the Inside of The Oak Room in Elk Lake that looks a lot like the bar Paul and Steve are in right now. The guy is cleaning up behind the bar when a solitary figure comes down the stairs with a cut hand going to the bathroom before he can be stopped. The visitor is cold from that's night storm tires to warm up while the bartender tries to push him out. The pair warms to each other then the bartender tells the visitor a story about his youth. The scene shifts back to the original pair with Paul not impressed. He tells Steve that to continue he has to perk up the tale Goose The truth the tells his own yarn about a tale Steve father told him from the days with he was much younger. 

Writer Peter Genoway whose play is the base of the film keeps the interwoven plot clear enough that the viewer is never lost in which tale they are currently in. There are common links to the various stories, a leather duffle bag, a watch, a raging snowstorm, or the similarities in the two main bars in the film. Director Calahan keeps the camera in close, allows the pauses to breathe, and the intensity to breathe as more clues to the complex puzzle are revealed. Steve gets back to the first part of his story just before the hour is up and as he comes to the end Paul realizes why what happened at The Oak Room was the information he needed to hear. 

The Oak Room is a simmering plot-driven film that is layered but not difficult to follow. The subtle keys to the piece seem random but their totality guides the viewer through the woven piece. R.J.Mitte and Peter Outerbridge play well off each other as they spar as representatives of  the values of their respective generations. Ari Millen provides a strong turn in two of the supporting stories. The exploration of the relationship between fathers and sons is tackled in two different venues. While Directory of Photography Jeff Maher takes advantage of the abundance of neon in a bar setting to give the two main set pieces a memorable hue. The parts seem at first to be unrelated but in the end, they all come together right as Selley walks down the stairs as midnight strikes.  

*** Out of 4.

The Oak Room | Cody Calahan | Canada | 2020 | 90 Minutes. 

Tags: Small Town Bar, Bad Debts, Driving Snow Storm, Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake, Belleville, Pig Farm, Contact Killer, Funeral, Duffel Bag, Elk Lake Beer, Goose The Truth. Ashes, Tackle Box. 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Sleep

Marlene (Sandra Huller) suffers from extreme night terrors, She stops breathing when these events occur and her daughter Mona( Gro Swantje Kohlof) often has to come into her room to calm her down and get her breathing calmly once again. When Marlene wakes from a dream she hurriedly writes down the details in a notebook. She is also disturbed by an advertisement for the Hotel from her dreams on an onboard magazine. The recordings of events become increasingly sharp and violent. Mona sees that the situation is getting worse and demands that her mother goes to an ENT specialist. Marlene agrees to go after a scheduled planned overnight shift to Istanbul for her job as a flight attendant to Istanbul. Instead of going on her flight she goes to the mountain village where the hotel is located. Marlene checks into the Sonnenhugel Hotel hotel that is off-season. She sees photos of the three men known as pillars of Stainbach on the wall of the hotel. Marlene recognizes them from her dreams knowing that they all committed suicide. Back at home, Mona finds her mother's notebooks neatly stacked on her bed. As she goes through them she begins to see the story of Stainbach and the Sonnenhugel hotel in the pages. Being in the hotel is too much for Marlene she clutches her totem of a boar as she collapses into a stupor and is hospitalized. Mona receives an urgent call and comes to the town to investigate.

Director Michael Venus' story explores the inner workings of the mind, hidden memories and buried family history. The specter of Germany drifting back into nationalism is also present in the film. The empty off season hotel that Marlene then Mona inhabit reminds the viewer of the Shining's Overlook Hotel. The transfer of memories between family members is also front and centre.

When Mona arrives she meets Otto(August Schmolzer) the over-friendly Hotelier and his wife Lore (Marion Kracht) who wants to see her off as soon as possible. Mona's first night brings a vision of a woman and the impression of the name Tore that does not ring any bells with the staring townsfolk. However, Mona continues to dig proving to be more stubborn, determined, and mental sound than her mother in her attempt to get to the truths that could eventually extract her mom from her psychological prison. 

           

Sleep is a journey into the psychological and a look at the subconscious living in a space where dreams and reality overlap. As the viewer follows Mona's exploration the line between dreams and conscious thought is blurred. The debilitating paralysis that psychological trauma can have on the human body is also on display. It a harrowing tale filled with Lynchian elements well shouldered by its young female lead that is definitely worth the watch. 

*** 1/2 Out of 4.

Sleep | Michael Venus | Germany | 2020 | 102 Minutes.

Tags: Nightmares, Suicides, ENT, Medications,Totems, Hospital, Steinbach, Mountain Village Off Season, Hotel, Boars, Family Secret, Lullaby  Jenga. 

 

 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw

The Opening scroll reports that a group of families separated for the Church of Ireland in 1873 and started a closed settlement in North America. They maintained their practices ignoring world events outside their town line and shunned modern technology. After and Eclipse 17 years before the main events of the film pestilence hit the settlement affecting all of the settlement except for Agatha Earnshaw (Catherine Walker) who lives on the outskirts. The villagers have there theories on her and she also happened to give birth to a daughter the same year as the Eclipse. The townsfolk continue to struggle as Audrey (Jessica Reynolds) has grown into womanhood in secret. The answer may be to become more devout or to lash out at the woman who many believe is a heretic and responsible for their bad luck. 

It's now the Autumn of 1973 as the camera swoops in over the small settlement by the woods a man comes to trade by Agatha sends him away. He leaves with a veiled threat then Agatha gives the same to his daughter as a further reason why she must stay hidden. The pair head out to meet the Others a group of ritualistic spiritual women in white that some might brand as witches. To get to the meeting they have to pass through town as the preachers is burying his grandson. They make it through after a confrontation that Audrey watched from inside a crate vowing she is ready to help and her mother should never face such ridicule again.

Writer-Director Thomas Robert Lee tells a story of a religious community anchored firmly in the past. The first question of such communities is should they maintain their ways when modern advancements could reduce their suffering especially in the case of children who are sick or could die from their illness. The narrative is so absorbing that the viewer forgets about the outside world and commits the tale not jolted out of the world until a plane passes overhead towards the end of the film. 

Catherine Walker works well as the protagonist for the first sections of the film as Agatha. She is overprotective of her daughter seeing to her every need but is well aware of the true nature of her parentage and that Audrey is growing stronger every day. Jessica Reynolds is a fresh new face as Audrey she is memorizing to the town folk with the ability to quickly get them under her spell. She puts a curse on the town for their treatment of her mother and when she decides to break free there is no one that can stop her. 

The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw will have some thinking about M. Night Shalayman's The Village. Here though the townsfolk are all aware of the outside world and consciously choose not to be part of it. The manifestation of Audrey's powers is subtle at first then wash over her and the town like a wave. The film does raise questions on the practice to commit so completely to a set of tenets a debate that has been going on for centuries and will continue. 

*** Out of 4

The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw | Thomas Robert Lee | Canada | 2020 | 93 Minutes. 

Tags: Religion, Righteousness, Ritual, Secrecy, Sacrifice, Eclipse, Pestilence, Isolation, Famine, Witchcraft, Curse, Horse and Cart.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Time of Moulting

Using the Still Life format for an ambitious first foray as a feature director Sabrina Mertens wrote Time of Moulting split into 57 snapshots of a family holed up at home while the family matriarch drifts in and out of mental anguish. 

The story centres on Stephanie seen at two stages as a child then 10 years later as a young adult. Young Stephanie (Zelda Epenchied) has to invent games playing in the dirt around the family home or board games with her mom Sybille (Freya Kerutzkam. A couple of girls her age move into the area but her mother deliberately scares them off refusing to let them in the house when Stephanie asks for permission. The specter of her grandparents is always present wither their possessions and family pictures resting in the addict. With so little to do and being confined to the home except when she goes to school, Stephanie becomes fixated on her grandmother's false teeth and her grandfather's suitcase full of butches tools especially his butcher's hatchet. 

Stephanie relations with her mother is a role reversal. Her mother is often tired spending a lot of time in bed surrounded by stuffed animals. Stephanie sleeps with her mother at night and her mother appears to be heavily dependent on her bringing her meals, looking for back rubs, and as a playing companion. Her Dad Reinhardt (Bernd Wolf) is mainly interested in tinkering around the home. The family  does not appear to be well off and the state of the house is cluttered moving toward hoarder status. Stephanie constantly complains about how dirty the home is  which is not helped by the family cat that pees everywhere and it is mostly left to the pre-teen Stephanie to clean.

In the second act 10 years later Stephanie (now played by Mariam Schiweck) is still in the family home, never seeming to go out and seeming surrounded by more dirt, cat pee, and clutter. The family now has a small TV which her father now spends most of his time rooted in front of doing not much else. The effects of an isolated childhood take their toll on the elder Stephanie, She's now prone to verbal outbreaks, throwing things at her parents, self-harm, and unnaturally obsessing on the two items that she most associates with her grandparents have become unnatural. 

Mertens puts a lot on the screen almost exclusively shot with a fixed camera in her structured directorial debut. It's a psychological exploration into an unhealthy relationship with a parent(s) can have on a child when that adult figure is all that the child sees and knows of an extended period. Even when the child is has grown with the physical capacity to exert their will their psychological scars built up over many years paralyzes them from acting.   

***1/2 Out of 4. 

Time of Moulting | Sabrina Mertens | Germany | 2020 | 80 Minutes. 

Tags: Tableaux Vivant, Germany, 1970's Country Home, Isolation,Mental Illness, Butchers Hatchet, False Teeth, Psychological Abuse, Clutter, Hansel & Gretel.

 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - I WeirDO

Director Liao Ming-yi must have had a good feeling when he came up with the idea for I WeirDo. A story about a super fastidious young man who isolates himself because of his condition meets a female with a similar condition masked, gloved, and sporting a knee-length rain slicker. It's as if Liao predicted the pandemic and foresaw living in isolation and dating in a world where first encounters are hermetically sealed. 

Chen Po-ching (Austin Lin) is obsessive-compulsive. He washes his hands and cleans his apartment constantly. Meals for the week are prepared ahead of time placed in sealed containers.He works at home never going to the office or seeing his co-workers .On the 15th of the month, he piles on the P.P.E. venturing out to pay bills grocery shop and more importantly obtain a fresh supply of cleaning products. He gets on the subway standing as always fully protected.  He spots a female Chen Ching  (Nikki Hsieh) clad in a similar manner who gets off at the same stop apparently headed the same direction. Chen follows as she enters his grocery store. He continues to watch her as she counts boxes of chocolates in the candy isle then steals one. Incensed Chen confronts Chen Ching who turns the tables and threatens him. Chen now completely out of his routine goes back to the grocery store the next day. Chen Ching is there thinking that he will turn her in. They part ways Chen under an imposed  deadline for their next contact.  

Liao shot and edited the film in its entirety on an iPhone XS Max. The use of basic colours is a key feature of the film as part of Chen's OCD compulsion is the need to coordinate them. Liao must have thought his story was about too oddballs (weirdo is in the title) that few could relate to but instead with the onset of COVID-19 hand washing, wearing masks, constant cleaning, and staying home is everyone's reality. 

The pair that seem to be the ultimate soulmates suffer a crack when Chen becomes fixated on pigeon outside his window. He is drawn outside to it and like that his OCD is gone. Liao cleverly gives this change a visual marker by expanding the field of view from portrait to full screen. The group of doctors that the couple used to go to to try and find a cure for their ailments are now consulted to bring Chen's back. Obviously small habits that differ in partners can cause a strain on a relationship with Chen's OCD gone Chen and Chen Ching are now diametrically opposed.  

IWeirDo is a fitting meet-cute/ romantic comedy for the COVID -19 era. Liao Ming -yi's tale about two people on the fringes turns out to be a bullseye centre-cut portrayal of people's experiences today. Anchored by Austin Lin's Chen naive protagonist and Nikki Hsieh's bolder Chen Ching surrounded by an array of basic colours visuals Liao has produced an innovative piece of film making that should find mainstream appeal as it represents a shared experience for us all. 

***1/2 Out of Four.

IWeirDo | Liao Ming-yi | Taiwan | 2020 | 100 minutes. 

Tags: iPhone XS Max, OCD, Doctor's Appointments, Shopping, Kleptomaniac, Skin Rash, Meet-Cute, Portrait, Landscape, P.P.E., Primary Colours. 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Hunted

The song of the forest wails as a woman tells her son the story of a medieval priest's pauper army headed to free the holy land suffers misfortune in a particular forest the pair inhabit when the crusaders corner a young local girl who the forest awakes to protect proving that the company of nature is often better than that of man.  

Eve (Lucy Debay) is the project leader for a foreign construction project getting push back from the local workers. Her boss drives her to be tougher on the crew from afar. Eve vows to get the project moving not needing any assistance from any of the males at her firm. She dodges her partner Alex as she forms her plan of attack for tomorrow. Bored in her hotel room she heads out for a walk popping into a mostly empty cub for a drink. A drunk businessman hits on her when a seemingly nice guy (Arieh Worthalter) intervenes. The evening is going well with the guy until the pair leave to take their affair private. Eve is in the back of a car with him when his supposed brother (Ciaran O'Brien) enters the front seat. Eve slowly realizes that she is a target of a kidnapping ending up escaping into the same woods discussed in the prologue.

Director Vincent Paronnaud crafts a story that will have the viewer frustrated to the point of talking at the screen during the opening stanzas. Eve has clear opportunities to get away from the situation that she doesn't see, realize, or take. Fortune turns against her captors after the incident that leads the trio into the forest followed by a violent breakdown of their alliance.

Eve's survival skills truly kick in when she escapes from her date for a second time sensing that the forest is on her side. She lets out a primal scream grabs a natural weapon and is transformed into a being that is more dangerous to her wounded former tormentor than he is to her. The forest has picked sides and the bad guy is on the wrong end.

Luce Debay and Arieh Worthalter play well off each other and they switch back and forth trading off who has the upper hand. It's a primal deathmatch that ends up in the most unlikely surroundings for the final act. The driving beat of the rhythmic score heightens the urgency and intensity of the battle until nature steps in once again to show that the company of animals is often better than that of men. 

*** Out of 4.

Hunted | Vincent Paronnaud | Belgium/France | 2020 | 87 Minutes. 

Tags: Construction Project, Visiting Supervisor, Taser, Kidnapping, Duct Tape,The Forest , Mojitos, Paint Ball, Open House, Security Guard, Guard Dog. 

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Dinner In America

Detroit Michigan is the setting for the extrovert and introvert nerd paring of Simon (Kyle Gallner) and Patty ( Emily Skeggs) in Dinner In America. The film opens with Simon volunteering for human trails for minimal pay. His only other two forms of income are selling his blood and dealing drugs. He is also the lead singer for a passionate punk band Psyops that sports a small but very loyal following. However, Simon is anonymous pure to his craft always wearing a mask when performing as alter ego John Q Public. Patty is working on clean up duty at a pet store and not doing that job well. When she is not being bullied by her peers she's in her room listening to Psyops indulging in a strange intimate ritual when she gets worked up.  The pair meet when Simon running from the cops for yet another act of pyromania gets her assistance to avoid the cops. Simon heads to her home seeing it as a perfect hideout where the cops would never find him. 

Simon comes off as the punk rock anarchist. He's the king of the dinner table referring to friends dads by their first names and snarling at other patrons and staff in diners and burger joints. We see the first inkling of his real nature when a couple of bullies bothering Patty accept his challenger for a fight then we see him at his own family table where he gets smaller and smaller as the insults towards him fly.

Galllner shines in the role of Simon. He is punk to the core but willing to see the best qualities in a perceived misfit like Patty. He will not stand for her being bullied and demands that she treats herself with dignity and respect. It's a strong physical performance where Gallner often expresses his mood with the raise of an eyebrow, hand gesture or a scowl. Emily Skeggs is a delight as Patty. She is half a step behind but blissfully unaware of the common knowledge she does not possess always remaining positive hoping for and expecting the best outcome. 

Dinner In America is the latest twist on the alienated youth theme. Here Michigan is the setting as we follow an odd young woman immersed in her love of punk music. Outward appearances and personas are not always what they seem in this Punk yet charming tale that I can highly recommend.

***1/2 Out of 4.

Dinner In America | Adam Rehmeier | U.S.A. | 106 Minutes.

Tags: Human Trials, Thanksgiving Dinner, Pyromania, Wanted Poster, Punk Rock, Pet Shop, Drugs, Dub Cassette, Fan Girl, Love Poems, Polaroids, Pill Box, Concert Flyer, The Hawaiian.

Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Fried Barry

First conceived as a short film in 2008 writer-director Ryan Kruger found critic and audience success with Fried Barry. The short centered on heroin addict (Gary Green) as he stumbles around a post apocalyptic building fueled by a foreign chemical substance that is clearly in control. For the feature, Kruger expands on the short making the port agonist playground all of Cape Town. 

Barry starts his day seemingly like any other. He sits at the breakfast table ignoring his wife Suz (Chanelle de Jager) and child as she berates him in both Afrikaans and English to be a better Dad and partner. Seemingly having had enough he storms out to his local watering hole where he meets up with a fellow traveler who has the great idea that the pair should head back to his hole in the wall place to share needles and do heroin. After the hit, things immediately become murky what the audience experiences for the remainder of the film. Next Barry is wandering on the street in the dead of night, is sucked up by a beam of light arms and legs flailing as he rises, then probed in all manners by shiny metallic instruments before the alien tries on his body for size returning to earth to explore. 

What follows is a drug-filled, raving mix of sex and alien research into life on earth as the visitor sees Cape Town through Barry's eyes picking up words, phrases, and mannerisms from those he meets as a newborn does from his parents.  Barry ends up in bars, dance clubs, amongst street urchins, heroin addicts, taken captive, in jail, in a mental hospital plus several encounters with prostitutes and the local pimp. 

Kruger keeps the dialog to a minimum leaving Green to express the experiences of his alien snatcher through body and facial expressions. Green is perfect for the role looking older than his age clad in his ever present jean jacket wandering his old haunts behaving a little stranger than usual but not so much to have friends and family key into what's up. Chanelle de Jager gives a passionate performance as his wife. Wanting the romance back with Barry from days gone by. She pushes him hard but will always stand by him as he's her man.  

Fried Barry is a frantic kinetic journey through the underbelly of Cape Town. It's unclear if the events play out on screen occur or is Barry still on the couch at his friends in a near comatose drug haze. Gary Green gives a physically challenging performance as Barry that borders on contortionist. Underpinned by a driving if not jarring soundtrack by Haezer and a visual rainbow of colours from Gareth Places' lens it,s a wild ride if you wanna have some fun.   

*** Out of 4.

Fried Barry | Ryan Kruger| South Africa | 2020 | 99 Minutes.

 Tags: Heroin, Space Ship, Alien Abduction, Body Snatching, Birth, South Africa, Cape Town, Rave, Milky Milk.