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Phenomena

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Phenomena sure is unique. Yes, it has a lot of the usual characteristics that form the horror genre but, it is definitely not your typical horror flick. Phenomena follows the daughter of a famous American actor who has a strong psychic connection with insects. She is sent to a Swiss boarding school in an area where some girls have been disappearing. And, of course, she sleepwalks.

Why Watch Phenomena?

In addition to the insect-girl mentioned above, this film features an old man in a wheelchair and his pet chimpanzee.
It’s backed by a very loud 80s heavy metal soundtrack to provide some relief to some of the more tense moments.
Lucky for you, there’s no subtitles – it’s mostly in English despite being an Italian film.
Ever wondered what a horror remake of the Sound of Music might look like? Well here’s your chance to find out.

The Breakdown

Phenomena starts in a Swiss Alpine setting. A yellow bus pulls up at a bus stop, picks up a few passengers from a tour group and drives off. As the camera follows the bus (moving on a 180 degree axis) we hear someone shouting “wait”. The camera moves back to the left to see a girl running up to the camera. She’s missed the bus. So what does she do? She goes to explore a house nearby. To her, the house looks empty. But to us, we see shots of some chains being pulled from the wall… she has company!!!

In the opening ‘scare’ the monster is concealed from view. We see the girl running away from the monster through the monsters eyes and we see shots of the girl running, but never shots of the monster itself. This continues deep into the film to build up our fear of the unknown. Revealing the killer would end the build up of tension. (although the heavy metal music seems to weaken the potential scare factor).

Another method the director uses to build tension is to quickly cut between perspectives. For example, later in the film our young American girl is exploring an abandoned house. As she walks up to the house Argento (the director) cuts between her 1st person perspective, a 3rd person perspective view from behind her back, and another establishing shot, to show where she is (in a field in the Swiss Alps walking to a wooden house). This combination of perspectives disorientates the viewer, and stops the viewer from anticipating what will happen, which leads to a greater shock.

If you’re looking for an 80s horror film with a dash of psychedelia and a dash of heavy metal, then Phenomena is for you. Enjoy.

Mirzya (India)

Mirzya Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

We’ve already reviewed The Lunchbox and Talvar from the India, the country that makes the most movies per year. Watch Mirzya for something different. It has a lot more of the classic Bollywood film than the other two, with more music and more drama and plenty of style. It is also currently available on Netflix, so check out the trailer below and enjoy!

Why Watch Mirzya?

You don’t have to settle for one genre as this film is an epic, fantasy, romantic, thriller, with a few musical numbers!
For some Punjabi Indian mythology
See some epic cinematography (reminiscent of 300)
You want to see a Shakespeare adaptation set in India

The Breakdown

A camera descends on a small town illuminated by fires in the night. The camera swoops into a small imperial residence built from marble, where a blacksmith is working with his daughter. From there, the camera dives into the pit of embers and emerges outside where workers are rhythmically bashing their hammers on iron wheels in slow motion. This is our magical entry point into Mirzya.

From the introduction, the narrative splits into two. The main narrative follows the life of Munish and Suchitra whilst the second narrative follows the mythical Mirza and Sahiban. These two narratives mirror each other for the film.

The style of the mythical scenes will remind you of the style of 300 or . Whilst there is colour, the colours appear pastel-like and very bright to create high contrasts. These scenes also include a lot of slow motion footage showing water droplets falling from characters. Check the epic slow motion scenes here in The Grandmaster for an idea.

Style and mirrored narratives aside, this story also shows the rich/poor divide in India. The poor work menial jobs to serve their rich masters. Meanwhile, the rich live in imperial palaces, play polo, and dress in fancy suits. Instead of rival families, the romance in this film plays across social boundaries.

Conclusion

Mirzya’s mythical foundation creates the magic behind this film. However, the importance of myths is not explored as deeply as in Song of the Sea or Whale Rider. Instead, what’s cool about this film is the style of the mythical sequences and the musical numbers. This is what makes Miryza truly unique and worth watching.

There is No Evil – AFI Fest 2020

There is No Evil is made to be provocative in both the story structure and the content. Each of the four stories contains a mystery: we have to ask who the main character is and what they have done? Revealing their identity and actions is provocative as it shows how they’re linked to capital punishment and mandatory military service. None of the characters are what they initially seem.

Likewise the content is provocative. As mentioned, each story is linked to the death penalty and mandatory military service. But not just one of the other, as often the mandatory military service requires you to enforce capital punishment. Regular citizens are expected to follow orders and pull the stool from under those citizens deemed worthy of death. The director focuses on this to show how encompassing authoritarian rule is in Iran, and how blindly some people follow it. By showing how the state forces you to commit the absolute highest crime for it’s benefit, the director reveals that there’s nothing some citizens wouldn’t do to facilitate the authoritarian government in Iran.

There is No Evil is split into four parts partly for political/logistical reasons. Director Mohammad Rasoulof is currently banned from filmmaking in Iran and breaking the film into shorts made it easier to hide his name from the permits and delegate. However, breaking the film up into four sections also helps to expand the perspective of the film. Instead of focusing on one family in one singular feature, the four parts show the range of people and lives the death penalty affects. We see those who resist and those that follow the law, as well as family members and friends who can’t escape it. It shows that everyone can be implicated.

Whilst it shows people from both sides, the film appears to favor those who resist. This is shown in the openness of the worlds in each short, especially when comparing the first short to the last. In the first, we follow a father governed by his routines. He follows rules and chastises his wife for forgetting to do things by the book. Despite being free to go wherever he wants, his world feels narrow and restricted. A lot of the time he’s inside either a car stuck in traffic, or in buildings, and he works in a windowless room far underground in artificial light. So whilst he’s not an outcast to society, his world feels limited and bleak. In contrast, the outcast in part four has escaped from Iranian society. He’s been forced to live off the land far from civilization because he resisted. But his world also feels more free for it. His story is full of natural light and wide expansive shots of the landscape. His world feels more free despite his political status because he stood up for what he believed in. His spiritual freedom is reflected in his bright world. In him, the director shows he favors those who resist.

Head to our AFI Fest Hub for more reviews and short films from AFI Fest 2020.

Finished Narcos? Here’s 8 Drug War Films You Need to Watch

If you’ve finished Narcos and are already experiencing withdrawal symptoms here’s 8 Drug War films you need to watch!

Image result for narcos

Yes, you might have finished Narcos already but there are plenty of great drug war films which more than stack up to the series. If you’ve seen all the eight films below and want more recommendations leave a comment or email me here. If you haven’t seen any of the films below or Narcos, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do! No time like the present.

8. Scarface

Scarface: the old classic. It’s full of recognizable quotes and has a hit performance from Al Pacino. There’s plenty of violence, hard drugs, and strong language.

7. Sicario

Sicario: the modern classic. It takes place on the streets of the once murder capital of the world, Juarez, Mexico. You’ll see a group of FBI agents sent to the border town to try and take down the dominant drug cartel. The last scene is a nail biter.

6. Miss Bala

Miss Bala is a brutal portrayal of the Mexican drug war. The film is loosely based on the true story of 2012’s Miss Sinaloa who was arrested with suspected cartel members. It’s definitely not a happy film.

5. Maria Full of Grace

This Colombian film is the ultimate film about the perils of drug smuggling. In fact the performance from actress Catalina Sandino Moreno is so eerily convincing she was nominated for an Oscar.

4. City of God

One of the best films made ever. City of God tells the story of Rocket and Lil Ze, one becomes a drug lord, the other becomes a photographer trying to make it amidst all the turf wars. The fast paced editing and narrative are exactly what you want following Narcos. And don’t trust this strange 90s-esque trailer.

3. El Infierno

Aha! Unless you’re a drug war film pro you’ve probably never heard of this film. And if you haven’t heard of it you are missing out. It’s the best drug-war comedy in existence. It satirises the narcos, the police, and the government, Luis Estrada (the director) holds everyone accountable. And, as an added bonus, the main character is played by Narcos Drug Lord Gilberto Orejuela.

2. Traffic

Traffic is the best American Drug War film. It has an incredible cast: Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In addition, it’s broken into 3 storylines: one following a policeman in Mexico, another with DEA agents tracking a don, and another with the drug czar of the U.S. and his junkie daughter.

1. Elite Squad

Last but not least, here’s my favourite, the Brazilian Elite Squad. First thing you should notice is the main actor is the same guy that plays Pablo Escobar (yes Spanish is not his native language). Second you’ll notice that he’s on the other side – he’s playing a cop! It’s also directed by the same guy that directed Narcos. Three things which combine to make the ultimate substitute to Narcos! Plus the sequel is even better than the first!

Wild Indian – Sundance Film Festival 2021

Wild Indian kicks off with a scene of a dying Indian covered in small pox ‘some time ago’ before it jumps forward to the 1980’s. The scene contextualizes the trauma of the present, experienced by two friends, Mukwa and Ted-O, situating it within years of pain, suffering, and oppression. It shows that the cycles of trauma are nothing new for this Ojibwe community, and the Indigenous community as a whole.

Moving forward to the scenes in the 1980’s, the trauma is inflicted on the children by their parents. Mukwa’s dad is ruthlessly violent, beating him up each night for nothing, whilst other kids are raised by parents lost to their drunkenness. Thanks to his Dad, and we can infer thanks to the generations above his Dad, it’s the trauma he inflicts on Mukwa that turns him violent. And whilst Mukwa’s not violent towards his son later in the film, his lack of warmth indicates that his trauma will be passed on. All of this stems from the widespread suffering of the Indigenous community referenced in the opening scene.

Mukwa tries to escape his trauma by exiling himself from his roots. He changes his image, becoming ‘Michael Peterson’ and cuts his hair. He goes all in on white corporate culture – becoming a wealthy businessman that plays a lot of golf, lives in California, and has a trophy white wife. The only signs of pride in his heritage is an overcompensation of Indigenous art on the walls in his house. Otherwise, he appears like a different person. His life contrasts strongly with his old friend Ted-O, who carriers his identity tattooed on his face and neck as he’s released from prison. Despite appearances, Ted-O is the warmer character. He makes time to bond with his nephew, whilst Mukwa shuns his wife and son.

Mukwa is one sinister character. He’s created brilliantly through Michael Greyeye’s acting and the style Lyle Corbine (the director) imbues into the film. The atmospheric music, that plays behind most of Mukwa’s scenes, combined with the slow camera movements (slowly creeping right to left and zooming in) creates a sense of eeriness surrounding Mukwa from the start. It reminded me a lot of the slow burn thrillers of David Fincher.

There’s also one recurring image that the director uses to create a lot of tension. He captures Mukwa’s evil side in moments where he has people’s lives in his hands – such as holding a knife by his sleeping father, and aiming a gun at his friend. Throwing these shots into the early part of the film makes us fear Mukwa’s unpredictability. It feels like he’s going to lash out violently and get revenge for the trauma inside him. This unnerving unpredictability makes him and the film so hard to look away from.

If you’re looking for a slow burning thriller along the lines of David Fincher’s Gone Girl with an unpredictable character like Pablo Larrain’s Tony Manero, set within the Indigenous Ojibwe tribe, Wild Indian is the film you need to watch this year.