2021, Ben Wheatley (High-Rise) -- download
In the Earth is the product of The Pause. Wheatley's production of Tomb Raider 2 died on the vine because of the pandemic, and so Wheatley went back to the ground, building a movie that claims to be the product of a pandemic (the world in the movie has one of its own, something that sounds more dire) but really, it's just a grim, isolationist movie with little cast and probably diminished crew as well. They did what they could do under the restrictions in place at the time. But is it a pandemic movie? No, the plot point barely plays into it.
Martin (Joel Fry, Requiem)is heading into the woods to find out why communication with his colleague Dr. Wendle (Hayley Squires, In Fabric) went dark; four months ago, he received her last letter. He is being escorted by park ranger Alma (Ellora Torchia, Midsommar). Martin is a complainy, city bred researcher recently released from quarantine, not really interested in going into the wood, but something he won't speak of is compelling him to. We get the hint that the work he and Wendle were doing was essential to work on the cure to the pandemic.
Almost immediately the mopey, damp, uncomfortable setting is transformed into torture porn, as Alma and Martin are beaten in the night, in their tents. They awaken without shoes and supplies, but Alma is assured she can get them out. Almost immediately (yup, again), Martin steps on something sharp and slices his foot open, horribly. Almost immediately afterward, they run into Zach, who claims to be living along off the grid. And again, almost immediately he becomes a sinister force responsible for their misfortunes.
At this point, we were not sure if this was going to be the movie, the quick approach into the torture of the pair by a man convinced there is a supernatural spirit in the wood, that he has to praise through worship and ... art -- he takes bad photos of them dressed up in ritualistic garb he fabricates out of tents. This part of the movie drags on, but eventually they do escape into the night, to be "rescued" by Dr. Wendle.
She is also living out here, off the grid (but on some grid, as she has electricity to power her myriad equipment pieces) and continuing her research. Zach is her ex-husband, who is off his rocker but still "researching" the same force as she is --- the forest itself. Or more precisely, some sort of microbial/fungal being that inhabits the entire forest, or in her estimation, all of England. We have seen this idea before, in Star Trek: Discovery and even in an episode of Fringe where fungal growths cover vast expanses and can control or influence all in their domain. Where Zach uses art and worship, Wendle is using sound and light.
Alas they are both utterly bonkers. But not entirely of their own cause. The forest IS releasing some sort of spore into the air, and it DOES affect people. Whether there is some supernatural entity at play, or some sort of vast mushroom being living underneath it all is left up to us to decide. All we know is that it is keeping Martin and Alma confined, and that Zach and Wendle are likely just pawns. It all plays out in repeated scenes of hallucinogenic trips, that tie to an ancient standing stone which Wendle still basically worships.
I am not sure I enjoyed this movie. Maybe I don't get "elevated" movies anymore. I can appreciate his skill at building unsettling movies, but I don't really appreciate the end goal, if there really is any. And if this is his idea of "horror" I am not sure if I will leave Kill List on the list.
Man, you really must have built Wheatley up in your mind to be sooo disappointed in him. I went back and looked at your review of Free Fire, where you also noted that you tried, but could not get through, Kill List.
ReplyDeleteI looked at my reviews of Kill List and High Rise, and I find Wheatley to be an intriguing visual stylist and he's able to draw the performances out of the actors he needs. The stories he tells are a whole other matter. Never bad, but also not as next level as his visual acuity. So no, this is not a defence, just an inquiry into why you keep expecting so much more out of him ;)
Kill List is a two-act drama that descends into the occult in the third act. Is it horror? I guess if you're counting The Third Day, Wicker Man or Midsommer as horror, then yeah, but these "cultish community" tropes always tend to be on the lighter side of horror, more suspenseful than anything (but they're always fatalistic so that's what tends to push them into horror, I guess).
High Rise is a societal allegory about warring class structures and descent into chaos (with underpinnings of occult). Horror? I guess but not really.
Free Fire (I didn't see) but sounds like a romp from your write up.
In The Earth sounds uneasy. It sounds kind of like his "occult" trappings but just in another form.
You obviously are more invested in the circles that explore horror movies than I am. Is he really held that high in regard in those areas?
But, I am not invested. I barely pay attention to anything these days. But to have been exposed to praise of him in even the barest exposure I have means something. I myself am so "off the grid" these days, entirely and continually connected to the net yet not exposed to much outside of what my social media throws in my face. But I heard (read) his name everywhere, and even coworker deep into horror (went to film school) lauds Kill List. I dunno...
ReplyDeleteHe might be the current epitome of "I don't like what he does, but I like how he does it" director
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