OBSERVER: Rourke’s Reviews
Horse Girl
(MA). 103 minutes. Now streaming on Netflix.
Bolstered by a superb central performance, Horse Girl, like Daniel Isn’t Real, deals with the issue of mental illness, and while it doesn’t become as wildly fantastical like the latter, this expertly crafted film does present its story in a way that tries to keep the viewer deliberately off-balance the more its main character’s world falls apart. Alison Brie plays Sarah, a young woman who finds it very hard to relate to, and socialise with, those around her. Shy and reclusive, she has a workmanlike relationship with her craft store co-worker Joan (Molly Shannon), while her flatmate Nikki (Debby Ryan) wishes she would get out more. There are signs early on that Sarah may be struggling mentally, a condition that afflicted both her mother and grandmother. When Nikki invites her boyfriend’s friend Darren (John Reynolds) over, in the hope that something will spark between he and Sarah, it sets off a chain of events which will see Sarah’s view of herself and the world around her alter in unsettling fashion. Those expecting a traditional, quirky indy comedy will most likely feel cheated and disappointed, especially during the film’s second half, as deadpan giggles turn into something much more distressing, as we see a shy, likeable person mentally collapse before our eyes. Brie, who also co-wrote the script (and based some of what happens on her own family history of mental illness), is extraordinary, making the heartbreaking changes in Sarah’s mindset utterly convincing. Encapsulating Sarah’s painful journey is co-writer/director Jeff Baena (Life After Beth, Joshy, The Little Hours), who carefully ensures that her plight maintains a serious emotional core, especially when it makes the rug-pulling switch from comedy to drama. Baena also effectively uses unusual soundscapes (including its music score), which reminded me of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love (2002), while the presentation of Sarah’s disorientating loss of time is reminiscent of Suzuki Matsuo’s under-seen drama Welcome To The Quiet Room (2007). While it doesn’t reach the heights of Antonio Campos’ outstanding 2016 feature Christine (which contained an incredible, Oscar worthy performance from Rebecca Hall), Horse Girl is affecting viewing, disarming its audience early on with low-key laughs before delivering a number of strategically placed blows, and always treats its main character with genuine care and respect.
RATING – ****
Daniel Isn’t Real
(MA). 96 mins. Available now on DVD.
This moody, beguiling horror/thriller has unfairly gone under the radar, and deserves a much bigger reception, as it offers viewers an intense, growingly surreal experience that deals with highly relevant subject matter. The story centres on Luke (Miles Robbins), an extremely introverted young man who has just started college, and everything about the place appears to feel oppressive to him. Luke uses a short break to visit his mother Claire (Mary Stuart Masterson), who suffers from schizophrenia, a disorder which has caused longterm family trauma. The return home triggers childhood flashbacks for Luke, remembering when his mother’s behaviour caused him to create an imaginary friend by the name of Daniel, who eventually coaxed the youngster to try to kill Claire. With two fractured minds at play, Claire and Luke trap Daniel inside an oversized dollhouse, with the promise that he will never be let out again. As we see the grown Luke struggle with his environment, we know that promise will be broken, and when it is, a now adult Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) will take him on a dark, dangerous journey. Brian DeLeeuw, adapting his 2009 novel with director Adam Egypt Mortimer, keeps the screenplay filled with fascinating ideas and themes, showing a mental disintegration through the protagonist’s own eyes, causing reality and personal mindsets to frequently shift and reshape. Mortimer, who helmed the underrated Some Kind Of Hate (2015), which also dealt with mental illness (albeit in much more brutal fashion), handles both the tricky material and very low budget with confidence and skill, and is able to illicit strong performances from his lead actors, particularly Schwarzenegger (son of Arnold). There are noticeable parallels to films such as Fight Club, Jacob’s Ladder, and Real, and the finale makes Luke’s splintered state-of-mind a little too literal, allowing familiar elements to rise to the surface. However, Daniel Isn’t Real is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered, from a film-maker whose career is worth keeping an eye on.
RATING – ****