Dir - Eskil Vogt
Overall: GOOD
Creepy kids in horror movies are a trope as old as time, and Norwegian writer/director Eskil Vogt goes somewhere idiosyncratic with his young cast in his sophomore full-length The Innocents, (De uskyldige). Set during summer break in an unassuming apartment complex, three youngsters discover that they have some form of superpowers, yet the main focus is on one of their sisters who does not. Rakel Lenora Fløttum's autistic sibling finds the ability to speak through a telepathic link to one of the other children and later develops a form of telekinesis which local outsider Ben, (played by Sam Ashraf ), also has a more matured and dangerous form of. Vogt's presentation is minimalist and lingering, spending the majority of the time exploring these kid's relationships with their family and each other, but he does so from a distance that never lets us get too close to anyone. This is unfortunate since there are some harrowing moments, plus a progressing theme of morality and the unavoidable and ergo heartbreaking element of growing up where the world's evils lead to a loss of innocence, (hence the film's title no doubt). A tighter approach could have been more compelling, but the movie still accomplishes a lot by taking such a unique angle with its subject matter.
Dir - Kate Dolan
Overall: MEH
A promising if faulty debut, You Are Not My Mother stems from Irish filmmaker Kate Dolan and busts out the ole changeling monster for a contemporary tale that is centered around an outcast teenager. Sadly, Dolan indulges in obnoxious bullying tropes where high school-aged assholes behave like psychopaths and the only parent that does anything is the disturbed mother of our protagonist who scares them away when one of them is about to blow-torch her child's face off. Implausible nonsense like this aside though, the movie is emotionally on point as it examines the turmoil suffered by a lonely young woman who has grown up in a dysfunctional household with vague superstitious leanings, unanswered questions, neglect, and overall concerning behavior. Dolan uses a few common genre motifs like obvious nightmare sequences, creepy faces in the mirror, and some good ole fashioned gaslighting, but the film has a grounded and intimate aesthetic that is benefited from on location photography and a minimal amount of otherworldly set pieces. Somber and humorless, (besides one or two unintentionally schlocky moments), it is also well-acted from top to bottom and takes itself seriously enough to have its heart in the right place at least.
TO THE MOON
Dir - Scott Friend
Overall: MEH
The to-date only directorial effort from actor Scott Friend, (who also stars in the lead), To the Moon is an interesting if faulty examination of insecurities and emotional distancing. Only three actors are present and the entire film takes place in a remote cabin where thespian Friend and his former ice skater wife Madeleine Morgenweck try and reconnect after the former's drug addiction has seemingly cost him his career. If only it were so "simple" since Friend's estranged off-the-grid brother also randomly shows up doing a makeshift form of goofy yoga right outside the ole family home. What follows is a series of awkward conversations and the ole trope of passive aggressive malevolence just lightly simmering under the surface. This creates a proper psychological aura for Friend's central character who is closed off, ashamed, and frustrated with many aspects of his personal life, let alone the reemergence of his eccentric brother who is full of good advice that nobody is asking for. Most of the movie plays out in a straight-forward manner even if several things do not seem to add up due to Friend's psyche cracks, but it all unfortunately get too murky to make its point. The finale seems abrupt as if it is landing at some clever revelation that it does not deserve, but there are still some compelling and half-explored ideas here that are well performed and hint at a better realized film than what we got.
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