Monday 21 June 2021

In the Earth - The scoop and digest

As a huge fan of Ben Wheatley, I was obviously excited by writer/director's latest project.

Joel Fry - Dr. Martin Lowery
Reece Shearsmith - Zach
Hayley Squires - Olivia Wendle
Ellora Torchia - Alma

Summary

Amidst a deadly and unnamed virus, Doctor Martin Lowery and park scout Alma head for test site ATU327A to rendezvous with Lowery's ex-lover Olivia Wendle.

We soon learn of local folk tale Parnag Fegg, spirit of the woods.

One night, they're attacked by unknown assailants, and shoes are robbed.

After Lowery injures his foot, they meet forest dweller Zach, who drugs and 'marks' them.

The line between science and nature blurs and reality distorts.

Psychedelic boredom

Kill List and Sightseers were great, so what happened here?

Blair Witch, Mandy and even 2001: A Space Odyssey are thrown inside a blender, but result of companion piece to A Field in England is bizarrely nonsensical.

Kudos to cinematography and Clint Mansell's score though.

Strobe lighting and flashing imagery can be very intense, so it begs the question why film doesn't warn that some scenes may trigger an epileptic seizure.

Shearsmith (doing his best Robert Plant impression) delivers a typically eccentric performance, but the rest beyond sucked.

Topping shit off, ending is abrupt and stupid.

In a nutshell, if you go down to the woods today, you're sure to get fucked up.

Whether you'll enjoy doing so is highly debateable.

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