When we have topics about music, cats or Formula 1, why not try one about movies? Maybe it catches on, maybe it doesn’t.
Quite self-explanatory here you can talk about movies. Movies you have just seen, upcoming movies, classics that came to your mind again, or ones that the participants were just watching. Mainstream, arthouse, trash. Whatever.
I’m a bit of a movie nerd and go to the movie theatres a lot, so I’ll just kick things off with some quick thoughts about some movies I have recently seen, that you may still be able to catch on the big screen.
Sunday night I had a double feature of Obsession and Backrooms. Oh man.
The horror film Obsession just opened here in Germany but in the US it has already been a huge box office hit. 370 million is not that huge you may say, but this film cost less than one million to make. And it’s really, really good. The premise is quite simple, boy gets to make one wish that will come true, and he wishes for the girl he is hopelessly in love with to love him more than anyone else in this world. Big mistake.
The horror genre has been very interesting these last few years, because it is a niche where creative people can make good movies with limited resources. You don’t necessarily need expensive stars, huge sets or top level visual effects. In horror you can take big swings and go to extremes, while mainstream blockbusters, designed by committee, mostly play it safe. A lot of good directors start in horror.
Obsession is the perfect example for this. While its scope is limited, it takes places in an apartment, a pub, a store, it in no way feels amateurish or improvised, everybody here is very competent in their craft. The writing, directions, camera and light, the ever so slightly unsettling dissonant music.
But, most improtantly the acting. This film hinges very much on its lead performances and they deliver. They may not be stars but the will be, these are breakthrough performances. People are already speculating about an oscar nomination for Inde Navarette and it doesn’t seem too far fetched.
I think one thing that makes Obsession so thrilling is that, despite the fantastical elemnt, the horrors in this film are all very lifelike and relatable. Not being able to confess your love out of fear of rejection. Everybody knows somebody who has been in a terrible relationship. Trying not to trigger a volatile, unstable person.
I could go on about this film for a while, but why don’t you throw in your opinion first?
Backrooms, the second film of the night, was quite capitvating and intriguing, too, but, in comparison, eclipsed by Obsession. This architectural thriller (horror?) the set design takes center stage, keeps you unsettled and on edge, because danger could lurk behind every corner. And there are a lot of corners.
It is also part of a little new trend, where content creators, youtubers, are becoming the new generation of filmmakers. Gotta keep an eye on that. Backrooms started as a number of viral videos on youtube, here’s one from Kane Parsons, who now directed the theatrical film, too. You don’t need to do homework, it’s not necessary to see the youtube videos to enjoy the movie. But if you enjoy this video, the movie might be for you, too. Oh, and Backrooms is an A24 film, from that little film studio that has become a new quality seal for film nerds.
