DON'T MOVE
US, 2024, 92 minutes, Colour.
Kelsey Asbillel, Finn Wittrock, Moray Treadwell.
Directed by Brian Netto, Adam Schindler.
A surprisingly effective thriller.
In the past, there were many films about women in distress, in peril, set upon by misogynistic man. But, especially with the advent of the me too movement, such films portray strong women, standing up to the misogynistic violence and threats.
This film opens with a sympathetic portrait of a woman whose son has been killed in an accident on the mountain, depressed, suicidal, driving to the mountain and the shrine she had set up there for her son, standing on the edge of the precipice. Suddenly, there is a sympathetic man who is vengeful top, is gentle in his conversation, supportive, the sad story of his own, able to bring her away from the cliffs edge. As we soon see, his manner is completely deceptive.
In fact, he is a psychotic killer. And, somewhat surprisingly, we discover that he is happily married and a father, his wife wanted to come to visit him at his country hideaway. But, he has injected the mother and she is about to paralysed the unconscious.
In confronting the murderous attack, the film shows the woman using her wits, assessing situations, moments of escape, the oncoming analysis and her awareness of what this would mean, receiving help at one stage from a kindly farmer, but increasing menace.
Audiences, men and women, will be on the side of the mother and the dangerous situation, repelled by the psychotic those seemingly charming at moments killer.
As a contributor to this kind of misogynistic that women standing up for themselves thriller, this film is very effective.
- The title, thriller, predatory man, strong woman?
- The settings, the countryside, the coast, the mountains, the backwoods, the house, the highway, service station, the lake? The musical score? Finishing with You Don’t Own Me?
- The introduction to Iris, in bed, her husband, the drive, the scenery, climbing the mountain, the shrine to her son, standing at the cliff, intention of suicide?
- Richard suddenly appearing, pleasant, not obtrusive, the conversation, gradually drawing Iris out, her story, his story about the accident and Chloe, cars? His charm? Climbing down, the cars, her being trapped? The injection?
- Richard and his unmasking as a predator, surface charm, sociopath? The conversation, his taunting Iris, describing what would happen? Driving away?
- Iris, injected, the gradual transformation, his explanations, her lessening of her powers, his taunts, her response, the reaction, the crashing of the car? Her escape, running through the woods, testing her feelings, her fingers, hiding under the log, the ants on her face, into the water, floating unable to swim, the log, on land? Hearing the motor coming?
- William, finding Iris, his concern, her being able to blink, assessing the situation, the wheelbarrow, into the house? The terror, to phone the police?
- Richard at the door, the intrusion, his story, the injuries, his skill at improvising the details for his story, telling the story of his wife, her drinking, running away, the crash? William and his response, growing suspicions, the phone call, the clash, the fight, his death?
- Richard, dousing the house, setting it alight, Iris tapping, closing the blind, Richard in the car, realising she was there, bringing her to the car, driving away?
- The service station, the little boy looking in the window, Iris and the seatbelt, her looking at people moving freely? Driving away, the phone call, the revelation about Richard/Andy and his wife, his daughter and her exams, his weekends away? The family coming to his camp?
- Finding the crashed car, trying to link it, the police stopping, the interrogation, suspicions, the expired license, Richard brutally hitting the policeman, in the car, setting it alight?
- Coming to the lake, on the wharf, on the boat, Richard and his taunts, Iris and her taunts, cutting her cords, the gun, shooting, Richard in the water? But the holes in the boat, sinking?
- Iris surfacing, the final confrontation with Richard? Her survival?
- A strong film with a female stance, victimised but not wanting to be a victim?
