Reviews
[REVIEW] BHFF 2024: ‘Who’s Watching’ (I’m Watching! And I Will Watch Again!)
Who’s Watching follows Caleb (Zachary Ray Sherman), a weird, creepy, and downright off-putting, self-obsessed loner. Caleb finds himself creating a “documentary” at his uncle’s business. The “documentary” quickly reveals itself to be centered around his coworker Krista (Gracie Gillam), turning from oddly quirky to insidiously dangerous. The narration around Caleb’s film gets murky when one of his band’s friends, Tawnia (Olivia Luccardi), enters the picture. Who is filming who? And who, exactly, is watching?
It’s officially time to apologize for something heinous I said years ago. I’ve grown and learned from my mistakes. Out of all the film genres, horror has been known to fall into phases. Post 9/11, the horror genre saw an influx of angry slasher films, like The Hills Have Eyes, the Friday the 13th remake, and a rise in zombie films. The xenophobic fear felt by countries all around the world propelled these types of films into horror’s zeitgeist. Around the mid-aughts, the genre would make a hard transition into an overabundance of low-budget found footage films.
While there may or may not have been political or social reasons behind this shift, I thought it would just be a phase. It’s not. Many times, I’ve gone on record, saying found footage will hit a plateau and the subgenre will die out. But with films like The Outwaters, Malibu Horror Story, Horror in the High Desert, Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire, The Ceremony is About To Begin, Frogman, and Hell House LLC Origins: The Charmichael Manor, it’s clear I was wrong. So what was it that finally flipped the switch in my head? What was the film that made me realize I couldn’t have been more wrong?
What was the film that made me realize I’m living in the midst of found footage’s second (or third) wave? Who’s Watching.
Who’s Watching follows Caleb (Zachary Ray Sherman), a weird, creepy, and downright off-putting, self-obsessed loner. Caleb finds himself creating a “documentary” at his uncle’s business. The “documentary” quickly reveals itself to be centered around his coworker Krista (Gracie Gillam), turning from oddly quirky to insidiously dangerous. The narration around Caleb’s film gets murky when one of his band’s friends, Tawnia (Olivia Luccardi), enters the picture. Who is filming who? And who, exactly, is watching?
Writer/director Tim Kasher is one hell of a filmmaker. I had no clue he was the composer of the brilliant film My Suicide (aka Archie’s Final Project) which stars Zachary Ray Sherman. When the film was introduced, I found out just how much people love Kasher. His band Cursive was mentioned, and the house went wild. Kasher is an astounding composer, musician, and filmmaker—a real triple threat. Who’s Watching is Kasher’s sophomore feature, and it’s a gorgeous blend of found footage and traditional filmmaking. It’s one of the few times a found footage film answers the question of how the film we’re watching was edited (with music, titles, etc.).
When it comes to found footage/POV filmmaking, the lead characters, or at least those with most of the screen time, must succeed for the film to work. The most frustrating FF/POV films are those with constantly peaked audio and actors who think loud and annoying is an acting choice. Luckily for Kasher, he struck gold with his three leads.
Zachary Ray Sherman excels as a red-pilled 4Chan incel. Even though Sherman is handsome in the real world, his behind-the-dollar-store haircut and general unpleasantness craft the character of Caleb into a truly terrifying antagonist. What’s most disheartening about his performance is its raw authenticity. Even when his character acts in a way that seems over the top, it’s unfortunately not too far off from something you’d see in a YouTube true crime breakdown video. The character of Caleb was etched into my brain long after the credits rolled. It left me looking over my shoulder while waiting for the L train to arrive.
Gracie Gillam is just a pure joy to watch. From her start in 2011’s Fright Night, to a stint on Vampire Diaries, all the way through the highly underappreciated Z Nation, Gillam has made quite a name for herself in the horror scene. Who’s Watching is another stellar mark in her glowing oeuvre. She plays the damsel in distress incredibly well and absolutely makes the finale her bitch.
Olivia Luccardi is the epitome of the “good for her” trope. Like Gillam, Luccardi is no stranger to horror as she played Yara in It Follows (you know, the person with the clamshell eReader!). There’s a real slow burn for Tawnia, she’s naturally unassuming until you realize what’s actually going on. Let’s just say, there’s a twist in the film that had nearly the entire theater gasping.
It’s clear that Kasher had a distinct vision with Who’s Watching, and that vision is horrific. During the Q&A after the film, Luccardi revealed that while they were told what to film, they were allowed to make the shooting scenes their own. And, to me, that’s what makes Who’s Watching such an impressive feature. Allowing your actors to exist within their characters and let them film what they think needs to be filmed, or what they think they would notice if they were in this predicament, which adds another level of credence to this film.
Found footage and POV films rarely have deep characters and character development. Who’s Watching is a film that knows what it is, what it needs to be, and what story is necessary to tell at certain points. From the deep character developments to the astounding visual choices, this film is one that you will not forget for a long time. I have no clue if Tim Kasher and Joel Potrykus know each other, but their styles are strikingly similar while still existing within their own unique and artistic worlds. If the two of them got together and made an anthology film, I think the world would implode.
You’ve never seen a found footage film like Who’s Watching. The only question you have to ask yourself as you leave the theater is, “How’d you like that fucking movie?”
Reviews
[REVIEW] The Unconventional Extremity of ‘Demonlover’ (2002)
Demonlover (2002) follows a French-based company, Volf Corporation, which is in the process of acquiring a Japanese animation studio. Diane (Connie Nielsen) is leading the acquisition after successful corporate espionage takes her boss Karen (Dominique Reymond) out of commission. Karen’s assistant, Elise Lipsky (Chloë Sevigny), vows to make sure Diane doesn’t have an easy go with any of this. Once Volf Corporation takes control of the Japanese anime studio, they try to set up a deal with an American distribution company called Demonlover, which is run by Elise Si Gibril (Gina Gershon). It soon comes to light that Demonlover is nothing more than a front for an extreme interactive torture website called the Hellfire Club.
As a horror-centric publication, how do you follow up the month of October? It’s our Super Bowl, our Grand Prix! Curator of all things Horror Press, James-Micael Fleites had the best possible idea for the month of November: New French Extremity. New French Extremity has a few films that always come to mind when discussed with films like Martyrs, Frontier(s), and Haute Tension. But many great New French Extremity films don’t get the recognition they deserve–and the ones that don’t deserve it still need to be discussed.
The first one I think is necessary to discuss is one that teeters on the idea of horror: Demonlover.
Demonlover (2002) follows a French-based company, Volf Corporation, which is in the process of acquiring a Japanese animation studio. Diane (Connie Nielsen) is leading the acquisition after successful corporate espionage takes her boss Karen (Dominique Reymond) out of commission. Karen’s assistant, Elise Lipsky (Chloë Sevigny), vows to make sure Diane doesn’t have an easy go with any of this. Once Volf Corporation takes control of the Japanese anime studio, they try to set up a deal with an American distribution company called Demonlover, which is run by Elise Si Gibril (Gina Gershon). It soon comes to light that Demonlover is nothing more than a front for an extreme interactive torture website called the Hellfire Club. (If you thought reading that was tedious, you can only imagine how long it took me to write that.)
Let’s get the two positives out of the way first. At its soul, Demonlover tries to exist as a commentary on our extreme desensitization of violence in the modern age. Much of this desensitization started in the late ’60s when the Vietnam War was televised into people’s homes and furthered by Ted Turner’s obsession with money and the creation of the 24-hour news cycle. That was all the catalyst. When Al Gore invented the internet, that’s a joke, we had no clue just how awful the outcome would be. Demonlover’s commentary on violence in consumed media is important, but that’s really all it has going for it. Is that one piece of commentary worth an over two-hour-long student film? (More on that later.) There’s also the commentary on corporate espionage, but it falls flat compared to the rest of the film’s commentary.
The second, and final, positive aspect of Demonlover is the acting and specifically Connie Nielsen, Chloë Sevigny, and Gina Gershon. Simply put, they are bad bitches and I love them. The ‘extremity’ of this film (I watched the unrated director’s cut) wasn’t really anything to write home about, leaving the majority of carrying to these three women. It’s hard to say I didn’t like this film when the performances were as powerful as theirs were.
And that’s it. The film as a whole feels like a first-draft freshman film school drivel. It’s unfocused when it needs to be focused and focused when it doesn’t. The only other film I’ve seen by writer/director Olivier Assayas is his segment in Paris, Je T’aime so I can’t effectively comment on his overall style. But Demonlover feels like Assayas had an overall grand idea that became bogged down by personal preference, kinks, and an overinflated ego.
If I had a friend who said they wanted to watch a real art film, there is no way I would show them this. Because that’s all Demonlover is: an attempt to make an art film with some commentary. Assayas tries to assault your senses with sex, blood, and “authentic” violence but fails at nearly every aspect. Demonlover feels nothing more than self-masturbation; a film that proves he’s holier than thou. And let me tell you, he is far from that. At its core, Demonloveris a two-hour-long horror-adjacent exercise in futility.
Reviews
[REVIEW] BHFF 2024: ‘Timestalker’ Is Timeless
Timestalker follows Agnes (Alice Lowe) through multiple decades throughout her shared life; from the 1800s to the present day, to the 1980s, and countless other decades. Agnes happens to run across the same guy in each life: Alex (Aneurin Barnard). Their strained, often one-sided love, spans their respective lifetimes in fascinating ways. While Agnes searches for her love she finds herself on the receiving end of a scorned lover by way of Nick Frost. Can Agnes and Alex find the love they are seemingly destined for?
As someone who reviews horror content, I tend to be picky about what I decide to watch. I know what I like and what I don’t like. I cannot stand time loop films. They just don’t work for me, from Groundhog Day to Happy Death Day. And time difference love films like The Lake House? Don’t even get me started. That being said, if I stumble upon one of these types of films that pique my interest, I will go out of my way to check it out. When I read about Alice Lowe’s directorial follow-up to Prevenge, I was excited but still skeptical. Prevenge was an exciting and well-put-together horror film that caught me off guard and I knew I had to watch whatever Alice Lowe made next.
Timestalker follows Agnes (Alice Lowe) through multiple decades throughout her shared life; from the 1800s to the present day, to the 1980s, and countless other decades. Agnes happens to run across the same guy in each life: Alex (Aneurin Barnard). Their strained, often one-sided love, spans their respective lifetimes in fascinating ways. While Agnes searches for her love she finds herself on the receiving end of a scorned lover by way of Nick Frost. Can Agnes and Alex find the love they are seemingly destined for?
Since I mentioned it at the top, let’s discuss the time aspect. It should be noted that this is definitely not a time-loop movie in the typical sense. Writer/director Alice Lowe handles the time-jumping aspect of Timestalker with ease and class. Rather than trying to find some overcomplicated and underdeveloped explanation for the film’s timeframe, Lowe does something rarely seen. You can take what Lowe tells you in the third act at face value. Do you believe it or not? There’s probably no wrong answer. But if you dig a bit deeper, and believe in love and whimsy, there’s a whole other element to Lowe’s craft. (Getting into it would be too much of a spoiler.)
Honestly, I’m happy to say this is one of the very few time-based films that works incredibly well for me.
Lowe struck gold with her casting and brought multiple A-list British actors on board. First, and foremost, Alice Lowe. Lowe stuns with her lead portrayal of a character I’m pretty sure she wrote for herself. And rightfully so. Lowe’s comedic timing is unparalleled, and she’s not afraid to make herself the butt of the joke.
Scipio (Jacob Anderson) is an intricately written character and almost a mouthpiece for the audience. Jacob Anderson is, aside from devilishly handsome, a thrill to watch. He blends into the background when necessary and chews up the scenery when needed. But it’s Nick Frost who steals the show. Whether he’s huffing and puffing after Agnes or literally barking like a dog, you can’t help but giggle (and sometimes gasp in shock) at his performance. Also, it’s always a blast to see Kate Dickie in anything.
Timestalker was introduced by a couple of people. Caryn Coleman, of The Future of Film is Female, said something incredibly interesting about Timestalker. There will be discussions about whether or not this film is considered horror or sci-fi but according to Coleman, “It’s a horror film about love.” I couldn’t say it any better myself.
This film is not your typical horror film. It’s a deconstruction of what horror means to people. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to love or be loved. In this modern age where Vice President nominees tell you you’re less of a person for not having kids or being married by a certain age, the idea of love is being retconned. If your love isn’t the way it’s “supposed to be” then you’re wrong. And that’s bullshit.
Timestalker is a fun and fascinating breakdown of what is. I don’t think this film will work for everyone, and I’m about 80% sure a particular group of people (looking at you, Vice President nominee, and fans) will take away the wrong message from this film. Those who get this film will get it. Those are the people Alice Lowe made this film for.