46/45
Lots of beautiful and intriguing ideas
Plot
Three women are trapped in a heatwave in a Marseille apartment. They find themselves in a terrifying novel and yearn for freedom. Saw this at the 2024 Ghent Film Festival. But even so, so many annoying elements make this a less than perfect experience. The mixed reviews I’ve read are understandable and a logical outcome.
Naked bodies, half or fully undressed, are also not a problem
One of the annoying things is that I have a vague sense that the story is trying to teach us to communicate with women that when they say “No,” it means “No,” but we already understand that and don’t need to be introduced. Other annoying examples are that the three female protagonists behave in a disorderly and unproductive manner while trying to cover up the traces of a crime. Let’s hope this isn’t intended to be presented as simply feminine. All of these annoying parts overshadow the serious moments of this film. As a seasoned horror fan, I don’t mind blood, screams, or severed body parts (and the dangerous equipment to do it with).
The film has a very original plot and the main characters are perfectly cast
Keep in mind that we see a lot of nudity in various stages of undress (is that a word??), both at home and in public. To me, all of this is ornamentation, contributing little, unfortunately, to the good parts of the outfit. Many of the characters in this film are a bit unclear as to what they do and who they are. The only people who are clearly defined are a couple at the beginning, when the husband complains to his wife, and then she takes drastic action, later telling him that her husband tripped and fell into a shovel. We have to wait until the end to see the police escorting her away in handcuffs, probably not entirely believing the explanation for the dead man.
But this story is just a side dish
The main course of the film is the interaction between three women on one side of the street and a handsome man on the other. In contrast to the simple story with the aforementioned couple and the deadly shovel, it is impossible to even suggest many complications that arise from the visit of the three ladies to the opposite apartment. One of the women stays with him, probably waiting for a happy sleep, but the whole rest of the story is completely different, unexpected and unprecedented. The bloody remains have to be dealt with, and not an everyday task for people like you and me, who have not experienced crimes. And they have to deal with worried neighbors who suspect that something is wrong.
Overall, a lot of original ideas, some even intriguing
And to all this, ghostly figures begin to emerge, not everyone sees them as so extremely complex. I can only give a few hints, I would say that this story is very unusual, offering very original plot elements and giving unpredictable turns of events. However, some negative elements, maybe only negative for me and me alone, make this film halfway. This is not a traditional horror, built on atmosphere or horrific situations. There is blood, and severed body parts, and ghostly figures, but nevertheless it will turn into a different kind of horror, where there is also room for humor.
