Depression, grief, and trauma are common undercurrents of horror films, both classic and modern. There is a manipulation of emotion that interlaces into the fear of the unknown. Many times, these emotions stem from the loss of someone or something close, unleashing a traumatic horror that not only encapsulates but becomes a catalyst towards recovery. As a horror film is a journey, so too are the emotions characters are forced to endure. Ruth Paxton‘s A Banquet dives hard into the disorientating emotions of grief and depression, finding its core at the heart of family and its paranoia at the core of misunderstanding and need.
Grief and Trauma
A Banquet opens with exquisite cinematography from David Liddell, its dulled colors contrasting and capturing the foreboding nature of its beginning. The sounds of thunder and coughing fill the ears of audiences well before a picture begins to capture the final moments of a loving wife and a suffering husband. As Holly leaves to prepare food, her husband takes matters into his own hands, ending his suffering. Broken by the discovery, Holly grieves, her grief and agony spiraling her into her own introspective pondering of what is it all for anyway. But unlike Holly and the extreme close-ups of the lens, viewers are not as limited insight as we watch her daughter look on.
A slow burner, A Banquet allows mother and daughters to attempt to put their lives back together, an attempt that seems successful, yet is matched with an unspoken turmoil below the surface. Sienna Guillory as Holly immediately captures the stagnant recovery from loss, the world still moving around her, and her to meet it, but never fully present in the moment. As her mind seemingly wanders, Guillory hones in on the grief that is constant, as well as the void that is left in the absence of no longer having someone to care for as she did her husband. It’s a difficult balance to acquire, but Guillory captures it flawlessly and seemingly without effort.
As we watch Holly push herself forward, viewers are given a small glance into the grief of her daughters, each experiencing loss in their own way. While Isabelle returns to her regular activities, looking forward to the future, Betsy finds herself in a similar place as her mother, unable to see what interests her anymore. As grief and trauma begin to consume, so dies the unexplainable horror around them, leaving both character and viewer to question what is real.
Setting the Table
A Banquet is instantly hypnotizing within the extreme close-ups, coupled with the sharp sound editing and score that elevates the uncertainty and heightens the tension. By constantly hitting viewers with extreme close-ups, the film captures the essence of the narrow perspective grief and depression create. Seeing only the details and losing the bigger picture, A Banquet captures a varying line of sight that radiates and ripples from each of its characters. As a family unit, what is affecting one member of the family affects the entire unit. And not always in the same way.
However, A Banquet tries too often to tackle multiple perspectives and emotions, interlacing more of a science fiction element, breaking from the horror it was initially committed to, losing sight of its end game and its audience. Coupled with a slow-paced first and second act, the film is constantly at risk of losing its audience. One moment viewers will find themselves wholly engaged, the next wondering how far from the credits they are.
Though if you could rate on performance alone, A Banquet is a standout. Matching Guillory‘s performance, Jessica Alexander as Betsy brings ominous energy to the film. She leans into the unpredictability of her character’s predicament, never losing her sense of commitment the more challenging the film becomes. Bridgerton‘s Ruby Stokes gives a sense of restraint within the film, allowing Isabelle to move fluidly between the adolescent emotions and the growing grief she struggles to encompass. While her performance remains the most reserved of the bunch, she gives Isabelle the greatest depth and sense of curiosity for viewers.
Conclusion
A Banquet completely captures the unyielding power of grief, interlacing horror, and science fiction to push its characters to the brink. With strong performances and technically sound decisions, A Banquet is let down by the immense wealth of perspectives it attempts to harness, and the slow burner pace that at times works to its detriment.
Have you seen A Banquet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!
A Banquet will be released in theaters and VOD on February 18, 2022!
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