Brightwood, 2022.
Directed by Dane Elcar.
Starring Dana Berger and Max Woertendyke.
SYNOPSIS:
A couple having relationship troubles find themselves running around in circles after going for a jog at a local beauty spot.
There is a nightmarish quality about Dane Elcar’s debut Brightwood that recalls the darkest conceptual anxieties found in the best of classic Twilight Zone episodes. A mind-twisting mix of horror and hellish metaphysical sci-fi, the film plays with nasty metaphors in an assured and poetic manner.
The mind-mashing movie follows Jen and Dan, a couple whose marriage is on the rocks. Dan (Max Woertendyke) is seriously hungover after a night drinking too much and getting overly-‘friendly’ with Jen’s colleagues and boss.
Jen (Dana Berger), unsurprisingly, has had enough of her partners’ irresponsible attitude to life, and lets him know in no uncertain terms. The two attempt to hash it out a local beauty spot. After jogging and discussing their various problems they realise that they keep on returning to the same position at the edge of a ‘big pond’ – a lake as Jen points out – with a ‘no swimming’ sign. Any attempt to get out of the loop has no effect, and they find themselves back at the sign again.
The horrible paradox gets even worse when they are chased by a nefarious hooded figure. Essentially trapped in the area, Jen and Dan are forced to work together to try and find a solution.
Brightwood is an imaginative piece with some neat touches of dark humour. The overall concept of a couple literally going round and round the same terrain is nicely done, and the two leads have a real charm. The setup is strong and the first half hour is particularly good as there is a sense of mystery and weirdness that is well presented.
The very nature of the film is partly formulaic by necessity – and some might find that it excessive. However, it is needed to make the more shocking parts of the interactions with the mysterious antagonists stand out even more.
Personally, I felt that Brightwood is an excellent effort from a filmmaker with a lot of imagination. The script – also written by Elcar – has some amusing lines in it, and the two characters’ relationship is a believable one. The contrast between the duo’s marriage counselling session on the run and the weird riddle of the inescapable woods makes for a curious story.
It’s a story well worth catching, and the ultra-low budget thriller offers up a welcome slice of dark entertainment. The creative little touches such as Jen’s earphones duplicating where she drops them as the two lap another loop add a dreamlike oddness to the whole. This, plus solid cinematography of the verdant woods and dark lake (definitely not a pond) help to bring out a cool little film. Judging on this alone, it will be interesting to see what Elcar does next.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk
