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We start with a reclusive middle-aged writer, sipping whiskey, fighting through his stint of writer’s block, and noticing harsh reviews of his work. Oh yes, his jaw is stitched shut, skin is covered with disinfectant, but now looking normal thanks to the billionaire-grade plastic surgeon he opted for. And if you think there aren’t lower tiers of these people, just google it.
The characterization of our lonely protagonist begins with him capturing a spider with a glass, looking away from the practically blank Word document to a similarly anonymous letter before shifting again, this time to the lovely decanter of amber whiskey hidden in his bottom drawer. And just like this, the audience is introduced to the protagonist, whose character is devoid of empathy. This movie has drawbacks, and while this is an improvement from the other films, towards the end of the scene, we catch a brief glimpse of his smile which looks like a red and blue checkered pattern. Which is for the best, as it serves as an indication of the horrors that have already passed and are most likely set to ensue.
Eventually, someone has to cut open the bloody canvas of bands, stitches, wires, and whatever it is that fixes horrendously broken jaws. And I, for one, am here for it.
No dialogue has taken place at this point, which allows the viewer to piece the character’s personality together as he traverses his ultra-modern house. It is evident that his career is successful, but based on his habits, it seems that his writing career is ready to fizzle out.
Eventually, we find out that he was in a car crash, and this author has no contact with his family (thankfully the film dispenses or undermines all other cliches to come). It’s very straightforward and well-executed, so I remain optimistic. A director who knows how to work with silence is invaluable.
The arrival of Emmy, his daughter, shatters this mood. A twenty-something who possesses a passion for photography is bitter and has quite a lot to say. She states that her mother told her to go visit him, but her mother refutes this claim later via instant message. This provides a gentle touch of the mystery that is slowly beginning to be unveiled.
The eerie feeling told throughout the film was very well established. There is not only a sense of menace towards the power going out, but also towards the open patio door. These elements raise a lot of questions that are too impressive to answer, and the film itself being a horror-thriller helps too. The slow and calming music mixed with the dark deep blue and black undertones also helps set the mood to an uncomfortable level. We are set up for a great climax.
There actually is tension, unlike many indie films where everything looks perfect, and when an unknown character takes steps towards a clicker for the TV, we are left agape.
Because of the above reasoning, there is no chance I will uncover the latter part of this film, and for all those who prefer looking at places unprepared like me, kindly refrain from scrolling until you have watched the film.
Emmy is quickly ready to abandon all of the stuff she has outplayed all over the room the moment her boyfriend, whose face we instantly recognize from the photographs, makes a cameo. Upon their embrace, we uncover right away their goal to steal items of value that sit inside Emmy’s father’s safe.
This is not particularly novel, but I do appreciate that it answers a few questions we have as viewers, such as why Emmy came back to visit, why her story was at odds with her mother’s, and how the patio door was left unlocked. New questions emerge as well, the most pertinent being why the clearly hyper-spoiled daughter of privilege needs to rob her father who, twenty minutes ago, bought her a nine thousand dollar camera lens on a whim.
What they introduced was quite surprising, because although Emmy is odious, her boyfriend is the true villain of the film. He seems dumb enough not to get why he would possess such tremendous cruelty, such as pissing on boxes of books and everything else. But I guess there is no way the screenplay intended for this to showcase his volatility. His performance is crazier than cringe, but I imagined this was just an example of having a bruised ego, which hasn’t been too onerous in what has oddly been a rather good film up until now.
We then cut to the author’s brief bout with unconsciousness where he wakes tied to a chair with his daughter and her crazy boyfriend (that’s what petit ami fou translates to in French).
Here, the film subverts expectations by controlling the pacing of the story in a unique and familiar manner. Instead of feeling frustrated towards the direction the film was taking, I found myself being amused the entire time. In addition to all of that, the film does a great job of making sure that no scene drags on for extended periods of time which aggravating for the audience. I believe this is an incredible feature of independent horror films, and I am excited to see where the director goes from this point.
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