Emily's (AnnaClare Hicks) life has recently gone a little off the rail, and her sleeplessness is just a really strong and annoying symptom of just that. So she happily accepts the invitation of her high school bestie/psychotherapist Robert (Charlie Farrell) to come halfway through the country to stay with him and his wife Melissa (Milly Sanders) for a bit, where he'll try to treat her sleeplessness with a novel and under-tested method - pretty much she'd be a guinea pig. Emily's stay doesn't run quite as smoothly as expected from the get-go, as Mellissa is a bit too high strung for her, and she doesn't enjoy Robert's method of "curing" her at all. But when she tries to leave, her hosts successfully prevent her from it, and Emily even agrees to more treatment. But soon enough it becomes apparent (to the audience, not to Emily) that the treatment is basically a way to brainwash her into obedience, turning everything she believes in, including her faith, against her. But what would the two of them need brainwashed Emily for?

A very maze-like thriller that might drop hints throughout - that seem quite obvious in hindsight even - while for the longest time obscuring in which direction the story is actually going. And the directorial effort, with a predilection for white-ish colours seems to only mirror that, as if the colour-scheme was a smokescreen. And the whole confusion is basically where the film's suspense is derived from. Now add to that AnnaClare Hicks's central performance that seems to effortlessly bounce from the insecure to the totally unhinged and back, surrounded by a small but strong ensemble, and you've got pretty cool and quite unusual thriller entertainment.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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