Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror
Films, 2019
At a
party, we are introduced to the three leads, who have been friends for years.
The couple is Abby (Megan Massie) and Caleb (Spencer Korcz), and the third
wheel is Riker (Riker Hill), who also obviously has a thing for Abby. They are Millennials
who like to drink and drug, and are spiritually holding out for something
better, be it between each other or through mind-altering substances. One thing
they don’t seem to feel assured of is their sense of self-being. This plays a
sharp dynamic in the story.
Each of
the three is flawed in their own way, as are we, I suppose. Riker is a “morose
drunk” who has anger issues dealing with his unrequited passion for Abby, and
living with his mom and sister. For Caleb, well, I don’t want to go into too
many details because it would be a spoiler alert, but being faithful is not one
of his strong suits. As for Abby, she’s lost and confused, and afraid to make
big changes even though it’s pretty obvious the reasons she should.
Images from the Internet
Wretch
Written and directed by Brian
Cunningham
…ThoughtFly Films
89
minutes, 2018
Right from
the start, this film hits a number of interesting buttons on many fronts,
including psychological, paranormal, a creature feature, and a few hikes in the
snowy woods around Louisville, KY.
 |
| Riker Hill, Megan Massie |
With a
slow burn and languid pace, we get to know these three and their conflicts
between themselves and each other as they cling to the same old ruts and
conflicts they seem to be drowning in, rather than to explore new avenues of
change. This is where most of the tension of the film arises, but of course,
there is so much more.
 |
| Spencer Korcz |
The three
spend a night in the woods imbibing on a hallucinogenic substance, and Abby
claims to see something in the woods, which may have followed her home. Is it
real? Is it in her mind? Is it the drugs? That is the direction the film takes,
and brings the viewer along with it.
There is a
lot of angst in the film, but not necessarily because of killing sprees or
copious amounts of gore, but rather digs into the psychology of these three,
while still hinting at something more, and if you haven’t been wrecked by the joy-ride
pacing of most releases these days and still have the patience to take in what
is happening, it’s actually quite well done. Don’t get me wrong, there is sex, blood
and violence, but it’s kept somewhat in check by the story (and rightfully so).
The acting
by the three leads is well done, with much of the strength being with Massie,
who is essentially the lynchpin character of the action. This is especially
interesting as the film is filled with local Louisville underground theater
actors who are relatively unknown outside of their home turf… so far.
As for the
creature feature aspect, real or not (and I’m not giving any spoilers), it looks
pretty cool. We rarely get to see much of it, again for the better, but what we
can glean makes on appreciate what makes it the “underground theater scene.”
Another
stylistic tactic that works for well for the film is that the narrative is not
straightforward, but jumps around in its timeline; under Cunningham’s choices
and sharp editing, however, the viewer is never lost on where the characters
are at any time, even though it seems some wear the same clothes most of it
time (gotta love low budgets!).
One might
consider this a found footage film, but it is quite modified in its approach,
which I believe the experience of viewing it benefits. What I mean by that is,
yes, there is a lot of handheld cameras by the cast filming the action, which
is key to one of the sub-stories, but the single camera is also focused on the trio
when they are by themselves, as if someone is filming who is not acknowledged
within the story and essentially making the viewer the camera-holder, being in
the scene, as it were. This style is way more interesting than just the usual
found footage fare. Yes, there is the obligatory walking through the woods with
flashlights, but Cunningham avoids the cliché tropes merely by walking in a
steady gaze rather than running all akimbo with the damn image bouncing all
around. He also keeps it to a few select shots, not to tire us out. Totally
appreciated, dude.
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