Release date: April 27th 2012 (US), August 3rd 2012 (UK)
Running time: 1 hour, 45 mins
Rating: 15
Directed by: Zal Batmanglij
Written by: Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling
Stars: Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, Nicole Vicius
Synopsis: A journalist and his girlfriend get pulled in while they investigate a cult whose leader claims to be from the future.
Average rotten tomatoes rating: 6.9/10
Average rotten tomatoes rating: 6.9/10
My rating: ★★★★★
★★★★★
❝ To see her is to believe her. ❞
Initially when I mentioned this was one of my most anticipated films of August 2012, I was expecting a simple analysis into the way people can be drawn into cults and how it affects their states of being when done so via a dramatic screenplay. Instead, I got so much more than I bargained for - I left the film realising and learning more about myself than anything else. The suspense and creepy ambience is unparalleled in this low budget debut from Zal Batmanglij and the premise of the film is excellent.
What the film is really setting out to do is present a series of questions about your own way of thinking and your own belief system (as opposed to testing it altogether). How well do you know yourself? Peter and Lorna are the two characters here who carry us through the journey of unravelling the truth of the mysterious cult. Peter begins as a much logical thinker than his partner Lorna, who is a little more open to the possibilites of there being a visitor from the future. The more that Maggie begins to interact with the group, the more that we are taken by the hand and forced down a skewed path - being taken one way, and suddenly being presented with a crossroads and being launched down a completely different path. Peter instead, is the one that becomes unraveled, being taken apart bit by bit until all of his fear to believe in the possibilities beyond his understanding is removed. Lorna instead, goes in the opposite direction. She begins to question the real purpose of the cult once Maggie makes an alarming request of Peter and suddenly Lorna is launched back into the 'real world', for a lack of a better saying.
As for the cinematography, it fit in perfectly with the tone of the film. The handheld shots were needed in a story as unsettling as this and the choices for songs on the soundtrack were ample for enhancing the chaos of what was going on in both the protagonist's minds. The team used the budget wisely; there was no need for any more than what they had. Too much may have thrown this piece into the realm of absurdity.
The film relies on the audience to tell the story. There are no set facts in this film other than the characters believe what they believe. We see what Lorna and Peter see. We watch them both change, and fundementally, when they have a complete role reversal half way through the film, we are supposed to have made our minds up by then too. It's a playful narrative, deceitful at times. The twist at the end is the kicker - it's here that you know what just happened depending on how you viewed the story. Since I'm a non-spoiler blog I can't give too much away; but I think I knew what I really wanted to believe had just happened in those last 30 minutes. More so, I didn't realise how scared I was to believe in such a thing - that this woman could be from the future. Why is that an impossibility after all I'd been shown? The presence of a certain authority figure in the film is sure to send alarm bells ringing but for me, I didn't buy what they were saying. My mind had been exposed to too much at that point. What about yours?
As for the cinematography, it fit in perfectly with the tone of the film. The handheld shots were needed in a story as unsettling as this and the choices for songs on the soundtrack were ample for enhancing the chaos of what was going on in both the protagonist's minds. The team used the budget wisely; there was no need for any more than what they had. Too much may have thrown this piece into the realm of absurdity.
The film relies on the audience to tell the story. There are no set facts in this film other than the characters believe what they believe. We see what Lorna and Peter see. We watch them both change, and fundementally, when they have a complete role reversal half way through the film, we are supposed to have made our minds up by then too. It's a playful narrative, deceitful at times. The twist at the end is the kicker - it's here that you know what just happened depending on how you viewed the story. Since I'm a non-spoiler blog I can't give too much away; but I think I knew what I really wanted to believe had just happened in those last 30 minutes. More so, I didn't realise how scared I was to believe in such a thing - that this woman could be from the future. Why is that an impossibility after all I'd been shown? The presence of a certain authority figure in the film is sure to send alarm bells ringing but for me, I didn't buy what they were saying. My mind had been exposed to too much at that point. What about yours?
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