d./w. Matthew Holness; p. Wayne Marc Godfrey, James Harris,
Robert Jones, Mark Lane; cast: Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong, Simon Bubb, Charlie
Eales
The writer/star of Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, the funniest
British horror TV series ever made, makes his feature debut with an
unremittingly grim and bleak tale of mental health problems and child abuse.
Philip returns to the run-down house where he grew up with his uncle. Awkward,
socially uncomfortable and probably with learning difficulties, Philip carries everywhere
a leather bag containing Possum, a large, weird puppet combining a replica of
Philip’s own head with long spider legs. Recurring attempts to destroy Possum
come to nought, suggesting it might not be real (as may other aspects of the
film). Short on dialogue and action, with long, semi-static sequences on featureless
Norfolk beaches, this challenging feature is the unholy offspring of David
Lynch and MR James. Holness adapted his own short story, written for an
anthology of tales inspired by Freud’s essay on the uncanny. Shot in November
2017, this debuted in Edinburgh in June 2018. If you enjoy movies that no-one
else you know likes, this could be for you. Music by the Radiophonic Workshop!
Loved it.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent movie! And "the unholy offspring of David Lynch and MR James" is the description I was looking for.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great film. I was thinking "David Lynch crossed with Samuel Beckett" but the James nod is perhaps better.
ReplyDelete