Film review: Evolution
From acclaimed director Lucile Hadžihalilović, Evolution is a very slow and creepy French film that makes you wonder what would happen if starfish evolved into humanoids and couldn’t reproduce. What would happen exactly? A whole lot of bizarre medical procedures, that’s what. Nothing in Evolution makes 100% sense. Watching it is like watching a mad genius solve the Collatz Conjecture or paint a surrealist image. Your eyes are locked on, watching their creation unfold, but when they’re finished you’re not sure what it is that you’re looking at.
There is a common practice that takes place in certain indie arthouse films involving an incredibly slow narrative that puts all its energy in keeping the story elusive. The kind of film that inserts one line of dialogue every 20 minutes so that most of the film is long shots of characters looking at something. It reminds me of 2013’s Under the Skin. A beautifully shot film with disturbing themes but so slow in its execution that it becomes tediously pointless by the third act if the viewer doesn’t have the right amount of patience.
The title “Evolution” could be referring to many things. The evolution of nature, the evolution of sex, the evolution of reproduction, etc. However, according to the director, Evolution has nothing to do with the actual story it tells but rather with human emotion and eternity. The eternity of life and the quiet foreverness of the ocean. Unfortunately, knowing this somehow makes the film even more confusing.
Creepy little town with creepy people
The film opens with a young boy named Nicolas (Max Brebant) finding a dead body in the ocean. On top of the body is a large red starfish. He immediately runs home to tell his mother, which is about as useful as one of us running to tell our moms that we saw a unicorn. She has no reaction.
The film tells us immediately that something is not quite right about the island where Nicholas lives. For one, his creepy mother is cooking a seaweed-like stew full of worms. Then there’s the “village” that inhabits the island that’s actually just a string of white houses with nothing inside. The population consists of nothing but grown women and their sons, all of whom look to be between the ages 8-10.
Before I go any further I feel that I need to share some details on starfish, because they’re pretty active in the story, in particular their reproductive systems. Starfish can reproduce both sexually and asexually but when they perform asexual reproduction, they do it by fragmentation. A part of their body is detached and grows into a new star. Essentially, this is what’s happening on the island between the women and the boys, but in a deeply twisted way.
The mothers are not mothers at all, but actually sea creatures that fertilize their young inside a separate vessel. The boys are human children kidnapped to be used as hosts for babies. It’s not an uncommon theme in films. (Alien, Rosemary’s Baby, Holidays, The Astronaut’s Wife). However, Evolution truly does it like no other. The fact that its young boys who are the selected carriers is unusual enough but the film treats their “pregnancies” like an illness. There’s no actual body horror shown but you don’t need to see it to feel it, especially near the end when Nicholas wakes up in a water tank with two fetuses attached to his body.
When the babies are large enough to grow on their own, the women perform c-sections on the boys. Killing most of them in the process.
Not for everyone
There are strong themes of sexuality, parenthood, and innocence in Evolution. The involvement of young boys instead of girls is what makes it so unique. It gives the film an aura of taboo. Which, despite the director’s words, I think is much of the point. Childbirth, or the creation of life, can be brutal. Women carry another lifeform in their bodies until the day it rips out of them. Projecting pregnancies, childbirth, and everything related to them onto men gives it a whole other meaning.
I can say right now that most people who watch this movie will not like it. It’s not exactly entertaining and it’s definitely not easy to understand. But it’s a film that movie and horror lovers should at least try to watch. Just don’t try to figure it out.
(2.5 / 5)
All photos are property of Potemkine Films.
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The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine Special Live Watch Party February 10th!
The sweet putrid stench of love lingers through the air which can only mean one thing…Valentine’s Day and its annoying little winged cherub mascot, Cupid, is fast approaching. Soon, partners will be spoiling one another with extravagant bouquets of roses, heartfelt Hallmark cards, obnoxiously large teddy bears, glistening diamond jewelry, and heart-shaped candies or boxes filled with assorted mediocre chocolates. You know? Normal things couples do. I tend to prefer my chocolate boxes filled with bleeding hearts, à la ‘My Bloody Valentine’ but, beggars can’t be choosers, right? All jokes aside, Valentine’s Day is special for many couples, however, there are also many others who find themselves celebrating this day without a significant other. Luckily, Shudder, along with drive-in king Joe Bob Briggs and co-host Darcy the Mail Girl (Diana Prince) will graciously be keeping us lonely mutants’, and yes, all you horror fanatic couples’ company on Friday, February 10th as they return with The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine, premiering live at 9pm EST.
Love Spells Abound…
Back in 2021, Joe Bob and Darcy invited us to a gruesomely passionate night of spell-binding love witches and animatronic dinosaurs infused with teenage human brains during The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob Put a Spell on You. Many, including myself, were introduced to the tantalizing 70’s inspired retro throwback ‘The Love Witch’ and the graphically goofy cult classic ‘Tammy and the T-Rex’, providing the perfect viewing pleasure to mend any broken heart. While the two films for this year’s morbid love-induced special have yet to be announced, as a special treat, Briggs has announced for the first time on The Last Drive-In, he will be marrying one lucky couple during the live showing. We here at HauntedMTL are eagerly awaiting the return of the ghoulish duo so, as is tradition, we will be proudly hosting a watch party on Twitter during the broadcasting of The Last Drive-In: Joe Bob’s Vicious Vegas Valentine. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and tag us @hauntedMTL as well as @shudder, @therealjoebob, and @kinky_horror to partake in this night of unholy love.
What started off as a one-time special premiering on Shudder July 13, 2018, ‘The Last Drive- In’ was originally meant to be Brigg’s swan song; one last special before hanging up the bolo tie in retirement. However, due to so many mutants, excuse me…viewers tuning in and breaking the Shudder servers, it was only natural to announce an official full season of ‘The Last Drive-In‘, which would make its explosive debut March 19, 2019. Since then, Darcy and Briggs have spawned many exclusive holiday specials, have graciously donated to many charities within the community, and have accumulated 4 seasons of ‘The Last Drive-In’, with a fifth currently in production premiering on Shudder’s 2023 schedule sometime this year, let’s hope sooner rather than later.
Movies n TV
Horror Noire, a Film Review
Horror Noire is a horror collection that includes “Daddy,” “The Lake,” “Brand of Evil,” “Bride Before You,” “Fugue State,” and “Sundown.”
Horror Noire is a horror collection brought by the combined efforts of AMC+ and Shudder. The collection includes “Daddy,” “The Lake,” “Brand of Evil,” “Bride Before You,” “Fugue State,” and “Sundown.” Horror Noire boasts Black directors and screenwriters, providing six unique stories.
As this collection explores six stories, I will skip the usual synopsis to assess the genres and ideas explored, albeit limited as needed. Expect to find supernatural horror, creature features, and psychological thrillers. Many short films deal with these genres while exploring Black issues, but this isn’t universal for the collection.
The directors and writers include Zandashé Brown, Robin Givens, Rob Greenlea, Kimani Ray Smith, Steven Barnes, Ezra Clayton Daniels, Tananarive Due, Shernold Edwards, Victor LaValle, and Al Letson.
What I Like
Each story remains unique, holding different strengths and weaknesses that highlight drastically different perspectives. Collections like VHS hold a similar premise to create their collection, but Horror Noire gives more creative freedom to its talent to be independent.
My personal favorite short film is Zandashé Brown’s “Bride Before You.” This period piece unravels a fable set in the Reconstruction Era. The entry feels Fabulistic in approach, which happens to be my preferred niche.
However, the best example of horror goes to Robin Givens’ “Daddy,” providing an existential horror tied directly to the characters involved.
What I Dislike
As mentioned, all have a particular style and idea. The downside of this approach always remains to keep the viewer interested long enough to find their favorite. If you find several underwhelming choices, this becomes a chore. But I imagine that is rare as the variety makes the options refreshing.
Personally, “Brand of Evil” had an interesting premise, but the execution fell short. On paper, it might have sounded like my favorite, which makes the lackluster execution a bigger letdown.
Final Thoughts
Horror Noire gives power and control to Black creators, providing a formula for a unique collection against others in the space. While the various subjects and approaches mean you aren’t likely to love them all, there should be a short film for everyone.
(3.5 / 5)
Episode six of Netflix’s Dahmer was not, honestly about our title character. Instead, it was about one of his victims, a man named Tony. We’ve actually seen Tony a few times during this series. We just didn’t know it was him.
And, well, he wasn’t exactly alive the first time we saw him.
Tony was born into a supportive, loving family. This is good because soon after he was born a viral infection took his hearing. He is black, deaf, and gay in the early 90’s.
Tony has a dream of becoming a model. And he certainly has the looks for it. He is beautiful, body and soul. He has lots of opportunities for romance, but it’s not what he’s looking for. He wants a real relationship.
Eventually Tony moves to Madison, trying to pursue his dream. He gets a job and starts getting modeling work.
Then, he meets Jeff Dahmer at a bar.
At first, we can almost believe that it’s going to be alright. Jeff seems happy. He’s taking care of himself. He’s not drinking as much. He even has his dad and stepmom over for dinner. It seems like his life is getting on track. Even better, he’s treating Tony right.
Then, of course, things go bad.
One thing that has always bothered me as a true crime fan is that we know so much about the killers, but not as much about the victims. Not so much if we don’t know who the killer is, of course. But the names that are part of our pop culture are those of the killers. Dahmer, Manson, Jones, Bundy, Holms. The names we don’t know are Roberta Parks, Beth LaBiancas, Leno LaBiancas, and Tony Hughes. And clearly, we should know them.
If Tony Hughes was half the shining, positive person that the show Dahmer made him out to be, I’m so sad that he isn’t with us anymore. We need so many more people like him. And many of Dahmer’s victims were likely just like him. After all, he was attracted to them for a reason.
This was a significant episode, and I understand why it’s the highest-rated episode of the series. I finished it with a heavy heart, saddened by the loss of a man who should still be with us today.
(5 / 5)
