Dir - Jacob Gentry
Overall: MEH
Following in a long line of conspiracy thrillers and utilizing many of the tropes therein, Jacob Gentry's Broadcast Signal Intrusion makes a noble yet bland attempt at getting under its audience's skin. In order for the film to properly work, one has to be considerably forgiving of forced creepiness and ambiguity, as well as being unencumbered by easily recognized horror staples. As the title would suggest, it uses the factual backdrop of broadcast signal intrusions, perhaps made most famous by a still unidentified Max Headroom hijacking that happened in Chicago around the same time that some of the tapes here were set. Which is most likely not a coincidence. Throwing in more contemporary creepypasta influences and referencing everything from All the President's Men, to Possibly in Michigan, Silence of the Lambs, 8mm, and The Poughkeepsie Tapes, the script here fails to break any new ground under its large, identifiable pool of ingredients. Furthermore, the busy, jazzy, prog-esque score by Ben Lovett is occasionally hip, but it is also tone-clashing and as equally genre-pandering as the story. The central theme of grief-fueled obsession leading us to dangerous destinations is sufficiently convened, but it is done so in a rather on-the-nose fashion. The whole thing is a bit overbearing in this very capacity actually.
Dir - Julia Ducournau
Overall: GOOD
The full-length, sophomore effort from filmmaker Julia Ducournau continues engaging in some of the unflinching and uncompromising visual motifs that her debut Raw did. Titane is pure body horror in many respects and again similar to Raw, it does not spoon-feed its audience with many of the narrative components. Fantastical elements hardly serve as mere MacGuffins though. In fact much can be debated as to their effecting inclusion, all the while the core examination of grief-bonding is thoroughly unmistakable. Stylistically, Ducournau successfully fuses some humor into the proceedings while maintaining a very severe tone with occasionally squeamish violence and uncomfortably bizarre set pieces pushing it further into bold, Midnight Movie terrain. It is beautifully photographed throughout and the performances are flawless from top to bottom. In her feature debut, model/journalist/actress Agathe Rousselle is particularly fearless, making a character sympathetic who logically should garnish zero such sympathy. Vincent Lindon could even be more impressive though as a deeply traumatized father, enabling the duo's connection to be as increasingly captivating as it is highly disturbed.
Dir - Valdimar Jóhannsson
Overall: GOOD
This Icelandic, uniquely strange arthouse debut from filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsso and poet/novelist Sjón plays as an equally beautiful and perplexing folktale. On paper, the premise seems ridiculous, but never once is it played for laughs. There is plenty of heart and even some humor present at irregular intervals, yet by treating the material absolutely straight, Jóhannsson creates a haunting and appropriate mood. Deliberately paced with minimal dialog, an endless array of lingering shots, and sparse musical accompaniments, the film manages to create a present yet almost stagnant level of tension. Because so little dramatically happens, it consistently feels as if the remarkably strange situation at hand is going to meet some kind of tragic end at any moment. The three person cast is strong and in a less controlled setting overall, the story's inherent bizarreness would become too distracting to take seriously. The sudden and dour finale could be seen as confusing let alone overly simplifying any intended message, (if in fact it has one), but the film is captivating, singular, and ethereally powerful all the same.
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