2020, Remi Weekes (Metamorphosis: Titian 2012) -- Netflix
This is what I like about indie and "foreign" movies, in that they give me exposure to a life that I, in my privileged straight white male living in "the west", cannot imagine. In this case, two refugees flee from racial violence in Sudan, to the UK. While treated relatively (dose of salt here) kindly by the UK officials (they are assigned a house to live in, and a stipend, while their case is reviewed) nothing about uprooting your lives is easy, especially when the house you are living in is haunted.
Bol (Sope Dirisu, Gangs of London) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku, Lovecraft Country) are married, and from the intro, they lost a child on the journey to Britain. Sure, they have been given a house, but its a pigsty, obviously abandoned, full of garbage, holes, mold and the wiring is barely functional. But Mark (Matt Smith, Doctor Who), their just keeps on telling them how lucky they are. It's obvious they are not, but Bol is doing his very best to stay positive; he's a capable man and willing to take on whatever he can to fit in, to fix up the house. Rial is traumatized by it all; she's not adjusting as well as her husband claims to be.
It doesn't help that they both begin experiencing strange supernatural events. We, the viewers, experience the enveloping shadows and the terrifying spectres in the background along with Bol, while Rial seems to accept the apparitions. The ghosts, the spirits have been brought with them from Sudan. There are so many things to unpack when you realize that. Is this psychological? Are these this culture's versions of the ghosts or evil spirits? Whatever is going on, the impact it is having is terrifying, and it seeped out of the screen into our living room. I felt what they were going through, both the supernatural and the more ... systemic nightmares.
Eventually, more things are revealed, more backstory, more history that brings revelation, and ... finally, some peace for these two refugees. Their life is not going to be easy anytime soon, but at least they get to deal with their ghosts.
The performances were incredible. I have now seen Wunmi Mosaku in two roles, Lovecraft Country and Luther. She couldn't have been more different in all three roles, yet there is an emotional weight behind all three, something that tells me she is not to be fucked with, not even by deceptive spirits. Disiru's little reactions make his character, that laugh when he is stressed, the stoic "I am the man of the house" attitude that not even he is sure he can maintain, the constant tamping down of his emotions, so he can continue to appear to be "one of the good ones", whatever the fuck that means. Even Matt Smith in his small role is brilliant, as you don't know whether to slap him or commend him -- you never really know if he believes what he spouts, but there is something small there, some reminder of why he probably ended up in this job. All in all, the movie is small, mostly in the house, but occasionally in dramatic vistas of the spirit world, and yet, such a big scar world.
And that final scene... so many MANY fucking ghosts, will that house ever give them up?
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