| A | Fantastic Fest 2021 |
This was a fascinating, fascinating movie. If it’s an experimental movie, it’s a successful one. Yes, the whole film is like the trailer–stream of consciousness narration from the protagonist (whose name we never learn) over close-ups of what he is doing or thinking about. Which sounds like it would be boring, but this creative team pulls it off in spectacular fashion (from writer through editor).
The movie starts with the character performing experiments to better understand, and hopefully cure, his tinnitus. But this guy goes through an unsettling arc and we get to see every step of the journey. The writers skillfully plant seeds along the way that you’ll re-review in your head by the end, looking for ultimate answers. And every few minutes the protagonist dispenses a one-liner of wisdom about human psychology or society that makes you think, “wow, he can’t be completely crazy.” But by the end he’s completely lost to us. And we can’t look away because all we have in this film are the thoughts running through his head–to the point it’s both a shame and a relief when the movie finally ends.
This is exactly the kind of movie I go to film festivals to catch! Highly recommended!
