In 1905, Thomas Richardson makes the long, difficult trek to a remote Welsh island to save his sister Jennifer, who was kidnapped and held ransom by some sort of religious group. He poses as a new convert in order to blend into their ranks and won't give a cent until he sees his sister alive. Thomas is woefully unprepared for what he finds on the island as he digs deeper and deeper.
Apostle is an interesting film because it takes a bizarre cult and places it in 1905. So many horror films about cults take place in present day and it's refreshing to see something a bit different that defies expectations. Thomas is a rough man with a troubled past as a Christian missionary. In China, he was tortured and almost killed, resulting in his loss of faith. (I did roll my eyes a little considering the worldwide, historical harm of missionaries enslaving and exploiting native people as well as erasing their culture.) In the Welsh island, Thomas is well aware of the danger he's in and takes every precaution to stay hidden as long as possible. You can't help but feel for Thomas despite his spiky demeanor because of his single-minded concern for his sister. His surprise at what he finds on the island reflects our surprise and it's pretty insane.
The cult itself seems open and friendly, providing homes, food, and resources to members in exchange for work. Underneath it all, the leader has suspected infiltrators killed and he doesn't have complete control of his people. Another seeks to usurp him and force him to either acquise or admit weakness. This man, Quinn, is one of the most odious characters I've seen. What he does to his daughter and her boyfriend when he finds they defied him is so disturbing and infuriating. The horror elements run the gamut of torture to a more eldritch, Lovecraftian horror, which took me by surprise. The lore is presented in only bits and pieces of events. Even the followers don't know the full power of the goddess they worship, which feels realistic in something so fantastical. I didn't completely love the ending, but it went a completely different way than I expected. Apostle delivers tension and scares along with this strange, half known mythology.
My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins
* Tenderness of Wolves (1973)
In the wake of World War I, Fritz Haarmann takes advantage of the people's poverty and desperation to not only deal in contraband but also lure young men to his apartment to mutilate and murder. This is a real life figure known at the time as the Butcher of Hanover or the Wolfman due to the savage nature of his crimes. He was rumored to have butchered his victims and sold their meat, but this was never confirmed.
The film portrays Fritz as outside of society in many ways. He sells many things on the black market from donated or stolen clothing to mystery meat (presumably from his victims but never explicitly shown). On a social level, he's a known gay man, which was illegal and made him vulnerable to arrest at essentially any time. On top of that, his manipulation, rape, and murder of young men must be kept secret. Fritz is shown to change his demeanor based on the situation on a dime. The most chilling scenes are with his victims. When he meets the young men, he invites them into his home for drink and dinner, which is hard to refuse for someone poor. From there, he coerces them into bed, implying an exchange for a job, transportation, or some other thing they need to survive. The change goes from insistant and charming to cold and predatory when he attacks. These scenes are surprisingly explicit for the time, providing a frank view of the killer's sexuality tied inextricably to his murders.
Unfortunately, the timing and flow of the film feels off. It isn't clear when things are happening, how far apart events are, or if some events are during the same day. Scenes abruptly end with another scene right after it. The connective tissue of the film isn't there and these scenes just seem disjointed, random views into Fritz's life. It's so disappointing because the rest of the film is so well done. Tenderness of Wolves is a slow moving, chilling film to watch. The setting of a war torn country coupled with indifferent, overworked police create the atmosphere where Fritz could kill practically unchecked. The performances and situations feel real. Kurt Raab's performance chills me to the bone in his ease changing his personality to whatever the situation calls for. I recommend this film, but it's not put together in the best way.
My rating: 3/5 fishmuffins
No comments:
Post a Comment