SXSW 2019 Reviews: DARLIN’, GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR & SNATCHERS

DARLIN’: Thoughtful in Plot, Erratic in Tone

I went into Darlin’ completely blind, attracted by its premise solely because it gave me Raw vibes, and Raw was one of my favorite films of 2017. As I was recovering from the film’s tonal whiplash, I realized there was so much background context I missed. For one thing, director Pollyanna McIntosh (actress from The Walking Dead) actually continued this film from a 2011 thriller called The Woman, which she starred in. Then, I connected the dots and found the works of Jack Ketchum, who wrote novels that used the common premise of cannibalistic tribes to explore societal standards and ways of living.

McIntosh proves that she understands Ketchum’s implications by taking the same premise and adding on new themes of religion, patriarchy, motherhood, homelessness, and even coming of age. With a simple setup of a cannibal girl (Lauryn Canny), who goes by the name of Darlin’, being sent to a church to be “cleansed,” Darlin’ invites the audience to put all the puzzle pieces together.

Though we eventually figure out what happened, it took a lot of tonally inconsistent mood swings to get there. McIntosh isn’t just blending themes here; she’s blending film genres. In some moments, we are given a chance to be invested in Darlin’s plight and growth. In others, we are smacked in the face with savage acts of violence committed by The Woman (still played by McIntosh). Then it suddenly becomes a comedy when The Woman interacts with a gay nurse (Walking Dead actor Cooper Andrews) and a group of homeless people.

The film is certainly asking a lot from its audience. Many times, we are forced to just accept whatever direction the film is going to veer towards. From its cartoonish bishop (Bryan Batt) to its morally conflicted nun (Nora-Jane Noone), the story has a ton of moving pieces and minor characters brewing around in a pot. Every few minutes, I feel yanked out of its world and reminded that I’m watching an erratic albeit ambitious film. It’s hard to be completely, emotionally invested in the story.

This is the quintessential mixed bag. I found Darlin’ to be well shot, well-acted, tastefully unpredictable, and surprisingly thoughtful in a few places. It’s also a tonal mess. Your experience of Darlin’ will depend on how forgiving you are as a viewer.

Darlin’ premiered at SXSW on March 9, 2019.

GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR: Clunky Writing, Practical Effects, and Toxic Masculinity

What do you get when you cross an ex-wrestler with a dilapidated house that might be alive? You get an intriguing horror spin at toxic masculinity. Filmmaker Travis Stevens, who has produced past indie horror/thriller hits like We Are Still Here, Starry Eyes, and Cheap Thrills, returns front and center with a directorial debut about a haunted house that brings out the worst in people –specifically straight men.

The straight male victim in this case is Don, portrayed comfortably by Phillip Brooks (known in the ring as C.M. Punk). He just bought a rundown house in the suburbs for his pregnant wife Liz (Trieste Kelly Dunn), hoping to start over and turn a new leaf. As he spends his days single-handedly rebuilding the house, he becomes more and more convinced that there is something supernatural at play.

Despite some clunky writing, the film is very efficient on two things. In the first few minutes, it’s clear that the house is more than just old. Almost the entire first half of Girl on the Third Floor is just spending time with Don as he deals with creepy noises and gross leakages. By gross, I don’t mean sewage. I mean the kind of red-white, sticky slime that you do not want to touch.

It’s also obvious that Don is a scumbag with a criminal past, which makes the film interesting when Brooks is portraying him with charisma and dumb physical humor, correlated with testosterone. Throughout the film, he insists to renovate the house himself, refusing to let a service come in to offer help. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Stevens is exploring the fallout of toxic masculinity. But the film isn’t 100% condemning Don either. He’s done horrible things, but he has also become a vulnerable victim to the house’s psychological effect. Whether or not the film works for you depends on your opinion of Don. Personally, I think Stevens deserves praise in making him more nuanced than stereotypical.

The third act is when Girl on the Third Floor finally gets batshit insane, and the gnarly gore effects start to kick in. Dunn finally has more to do in the last half hour, as we get some answers as to what exactly happened in that house. It is also here where Stevens gets to flex some of his knowledge in surrealism and his love for Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!.

Girl on the Third Floor is an unexpected but welcome effort in taking a haunted house trope and twisting it to highlight the perils of toxic masculinity. You just have to overlook some bad moments. The score is effectively moody, but a couple music cues are very on-the-nose. The setups are tense, but the camerawork can be flat at times. Newcomer Sarah Brooks strikes an unsettling presence as a mysterious girl trying to seduce Don, but she’s given lines that are so cringeworthy, you’d think you’re watching the conversation scene in a porno before the action happens. Look past these low points and you will find a unique story, put together with good performances and impressive practical effects.

Girl on the Third Floor premiered at SXSW on March 10, 2019.

SNATCHERS: A Modern B-Horror Camp

Are you a fan of camp horror? Then you’ll be sold on Snatchers, a film that contains all the ridiculous and entertaining tropes found in such a sub-genre.

Revolving around a girl (Mary Nepi) who becomes nine months pregnant with an alien the day after losing her virginity, Snatchers knows how to have fun with the absurd. For Sara (Nepi) and her estranged best friend Hayley (Gabrielle Elyse), things go from absurd to horrifically violent to absurd again, all within minutes. What’s worse than giving birth to an alien? How about having that alien shoot out of her vagina and decapitate the doctor?

Nepi and Elyse prove they are more than up to the task of providing hilarious, shocking reactions to the violent shenanigans surrounding them. The chemistry between the two contains such palpable energy, and they drop the essential one-liners with confidence, as they carry a tale of girl power on their shoulders. Accompanying the two leads is a pair of hilarious performances by J.J. Nolan as Sara’s useless mother and Nick Gomez as an oblivious but well-intentioned police officer.

Where Snatchers falters is its script and its pacing. Too many times in the story, the script finds contrived ways to keep a certain plot point going. Constantly, it forces illogical decisions onto its characters for the sake of conflict. Only after a loud action set piece do the characters finally turn around and do the thing you wanted them to do from the beginning. As a result, the second act –even parts of the climax– can feel tired and a bit repetitive.

Despite its flaws, Snatchers remains energetic, well-acted, and delightfully bloody. Directors Stephen Cedars and Benji Kleiman, who has hit many bumps in the road during production, still managed to string together a fun premise with some style and flair. Featuring some simple but effective practical effects, this low-budget B-horror camp can give you and a group of friends a good time late at night. It wouldn’t hurt to include some alcohol either, to maximize your full enjoyment.

Snatchers premiered at SXSW on March 12, 2019.