With Masking Threshold, Austrian director Johannes Grenzfurthner devises a psychological body horror film like no other. Shot in a found-footage style and featuring a nameless IT technician whose face is never seen, the film is experimental. The perturbed protagonist, who’s physically played by Grenzfurthner but voiced by Ethan Haslam, has suffered from tinnitus for three years. He has seen doctors who confirmed the possibility of his tinnitus, but of course, there’s no cure. The protagonist decides to conduct independent experiments in his home makeshift lab to cure his hearing impairment. But courtesy of a strong, inventive script written by Grenzfurthner and Samantha Lienhard, some obsessions take hold and never let go.
A Gradual Descent Into Madness
Masking Threshold gets under your skin. For a movie that has the essence of a one-person play and a bonkers YouTube video, Grenzfurthner’s fast-paced direction is up close and personal. He never lessens the tension as he takes viewers on a journey that becomes increasingly more grotesque and disturbing as the protagonist loses his grip on reality. Initially, you can’t help but sympathize with the protagonist to a certain extent. Sure, the protagonist is pompous, self-willed, and garrulous. Despite setting up a video blog to document his scientific progress, a large portion of the videos has him rambling on about the faults of philosophy, religion, and certain scientific studies. He mocks his mother and her new boyfriend. In a more intimate divulgence, he mentions that he’s gay and remembers the trauma he endured from the Pulse Club shooting. But nothing has been quite as difficult for the IT technician as his tinnitus, which destroyed any chance he had at a relationship and a higher college education. He’s bitter, understandably so. But he’s also obsessed, dangerously so.
For the majority of the first half, the lead character tests different objects and foods to see how that alters the sounds he hears. He does what he can to obtain research to explain his tinnitus and cure it, which, in turn, isolates him from the rest of the world. Masking Threshold proves to be a fascinating character study on top of being a body horror film.
Grenzfurthner does a masterful job developing the pained protagonist, allowing him to steadily shed every last bit of humanity as he begins broadening his experiments. Whatever pity you had for the struggling IT technician gradually fades away, until revulsion is the only emotion left. Masking Threshold is a film about suffering and self-destruction. No matter how intelligent the IT worker claims to be, he is incapable of suppressing his fears and staying within the bounds of reality, especially when he has suffered for so long trying to find a purpose for his suffering.
In a film that takes place in a single room, the film must have some sort of visual language. Film is, after all, a visual medium. Fortunately, Florian Hofer’s outstanding cinematography kindles a sober, disorienting atmosphere. Extreme close-ups of the protagonist eating pizza, clipping his toenails, and experimenting with algae shouldn’t be so unsettling, and yet, coupled with Lenja Gathmann’s brilliant sound design, these simple tasks are chilling and painful to the senses.
There’s a palpable aura of disquiet that lingers within the walls of the home laboratory in large part due to the way the protagonist talks and presents himself. Even when nobody is around, he has to be the smartest man in the room. Grenzfurthner challenges his self-conceit by eliciting a situation where the character is considered a conspiracy theorist by others on the web, except the protagonist doesn’t think so. This aspect helps precipitate and exhibit his decline more effectively. While one already knows that things are destined to escalate, one couldn’t predict the shamelessly gruesome, erratic finale. That’s not to say there wasn’t build-up, but even with a consistent pace and prudent direction, the ending will certainly turn heads and churn stomachs with ghastly imagery.
Masking Threshold: Conclusion
The warped, claustrophobic horror of Masking Threshold is wholly original, making it one of the best horror films of the year. Johannes Grenzfurthner makes the most monotonous tasks jarring and uncomfortable. But it is the careful planning of the protagonist’s deadly obsession that results in the most unpleasant horror. Grenzfurthner’s grim, artsy horror film is unforgettable.
Have you seen Masking Threshold? If not, are you interested in seeing it? Let us know in the comments!
Masking Threshold had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2021. There is no release date as of yet.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.