(**)
Two young sisters are stalked by their violent, abusive dad and they panic, asking “What if he finds us?!” If only they knew that he was the lesser threat.
Credit to writer/director Kirill Sokolov and co-writer Alex Litvak for creating an opening scene that’s as tense and provocative as those in the best horror films. They establish two vulnerable protagonists audiences will empathize with. Then they stick them in a nightmare that never gets better. You’re scared for them from the jump. It’s what happens after the shocking setup that mars a smart creative strategy. Horror fans with low expectations may stay enthralled as mindless violence piles on. Others may feel shafted, if they even stick around.
Rain pours down at night like it’s coming from an unceasing special effects machine. Two girls run like their lives depend on it. They retreat into a convenience store for refuge and sustenance. The older one hides the little one. They’ve been followed. Out of the darkness, a man the size of a football linebacker storms in. The kids run out of the store back into the downpour. One escapes. The other is caught. They’re separated physically, not emotionally. A bond remains.
Years later, the older one, Asia (Zazie Beetz, Atlanta), has never gotten over their separation. She tracks her little sister Maria (Myha’la) to a weird Art Deco building, The Virgil, built in New York City in 1923. Her intention is to find sis and run away. Turns out the prime obstacle is the hotel/co-op’s guests, who have demonic plans for the women who enter. Posing as a maid, Asia gains entry. But in seconds her life is in danger. As she showers in her new room, a blunt message appears on her fogged-up bathroom mirror: “They will kill you.”
Within minutes, Beetz convinces viewers that Asia’s love for her sister is stronger than any obstacle thrown in their paths. Knives, axes, punches, kicks. However, she can’t convince viewers that, after she’s been stabbed in the back with an ice pick and slashed by a sharp blade that separates her fingers and gouges her hand, these injuries don’t faze her. Humans bleed to death unless the bloodletting is stopped. They feel trauma and pain and deal with their injuries or die. None of that bothers her, yet she isn’t superhuman or a superhero with untold strength. Yes, she learned to fight in prison, but that doesn’t make anyone invincible. Credibility is a thorn that never goes away, even for a fright film that’s obviously more bent on silly gore than plausible plot pieces.
If viewers can suspend disbelief, they may find some of the outrageous, ultra-violent action scenes grotesquely fascinating. They’ll also be anchored by the bond between Asia and Maria, victims who need and merit some kind of victory. Asia fights gallantly against all odds. Decapitating, dismembering and killing antagonists. But that becomes a tiresome mission, for the audience too, especially since those bastards just won’t die. Wanting to see how her quest will end is just enough of a connection to keep some theatergoers in their seats or those streaming at home tuned in for the duration.
Kirill Sokolov is a deft enough director. Enough to make the action scenes pretty lively and the violence somewhat intriguing. Also, the pacing and rhythm of the combat sequences (editor Luke Doolan) is continuously stimulating and pumps up the footage (cinematographer Isaac Bauman). It’s also hard to question the music that builds tension (composer Carlos Rafael Rivera, music supervisor Andrea von Foerster). Or the odd cartoonish clothes (costume designer Neil McClean), from the egg-yolk yellow and white maid’s uniforms to the hausfrau dresses worn by Lily (Patricia Arquette), the hotel/co-op manager.
The biggest eyesore is the production design (Jeremy Reed). Initial shots of the convenience store ring true. All that goes on in The Virgil looks fake, like a hastily assembled set. Hallways, rooms and underground tunnels look more like an off-putting playhouse than a hotel. Like you’re watching a game show. Not the kind of horror that chills you to the marrow or leaves you aghast. Also, too many scenes are just poorly conceived. E.g., in a banquet room, Asia, with a fiery ax, sets the monsters and tables aflame. Somehow, the fires never jump around the room. They conveniently stay in their positions. Really?!
As the mayhem builds to an ending and the real Svengali is exposed, it’s a major disappointment. A misjudgment. This is when all the creativity and ingenuity that was not evident in the first part of the film should emerge to save the day. Something to shock skeptical viewers. But no. Those who’ve lasted this long get to the climax and all they see is porcine imagery. It’s about as scary as a Hawaiian lūʻau or a Christmas-dinner ham. Possibly these visuals were meant to be humorous. They aren’t.
Amid the ruins, Beetz shows she’s got acting chops and can throw a mean punch. She offers a full range of emotions (happy, sad, scared), but she’s best at playing an angry badass. Myha’la is sweet and it’s easy to see why someone would want to save her. For Oscar winner Arquette, she should wipe this film off her resume. Her Lily has an Irish brogue that’s inconsistent at best. Heather Graham and Tom Felton have been better in other movies. Paterson Joseph is cast as Lily’s husband, and he’s too passive a spouse to matter. Though he does spill his guts, “This building is a temple to Satan. Each month we must pay with a human sacrifice.” Also, oddly, most of the maids are women of color and the well-to-do antagonists are white. Not sure if this is an intentional slight or an oversight. But it’s unsettling and makes you wonder if a Black filmmaker would make these same choices.
The tonal issues don’t subside. What should be funny is just stupid. What could be scary is annoying. The performances are only as good as the material. In the end, a loving, sisterly bond isn’t strong enough to counter all the shortcomings.
“What if he finds us?” That’s still a better scenario than what’s about to happen.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYqQPiXpi4w
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.