Seeds

I recently watched "Seeds". I wasn't aware of the film until a friend mentioned having seen it. All I can say is, I'm so glad I took his advice, because man is this a really good film. I watch a lot of films of all different types and while this film seems to be categorized as a genre film, I found it to be more of a really strong dramatic film with some interesting twists and turns.

I won't get into anything too specific because the last thing I'd want to do is be a "spoiler". The film's story is unlike any I've seen before. There were so many things that kept me interested and wondering what was next, right from the very first minutes. The main characters are all really good and although it took me a while, I eventually recognized the lead actor (Trevor Long) from "Ozark". I personally loved his character and stay riveted during every scene he was in.

The film has a kind of fantasy like quality to it and I think thats really what makes it feel different. I'd recommend it highly to anyone looking for something different than your normal fare. I don't know how it sneaked under my radar in the first place, but I'm glad someone told me about it, so I'm writing this review to tell you to put it on your watch list.

Last week I watched this film and man was I really surprised. I'll just start off by saying, this film was totally different than I thought it was going to be, and I mean that in a good way. The film centers on two main characters, Marcus and Lily. There are only a few important supporting characters, but for some reason when you're watching the film, it feels like there's more. I loved the look and feel of the film and the acting is top notch. Without giving anything away, I'd say that I was pulled into the film early on and it never let my attention wander as the tension builds and builds. I'd suggest going to the bathroom before this one starts because you won't be able to look away or get up during the film.

If you want to enjoy a odd quirky film that feels like a small Hollywood studio film, then I'd suggest giving SEEDS a try. I think you'll be glad you did. I know I was.

"Seeds" isn't unique in its style or concept when telling stories like this, surreal melodrama and psychological horror meant to serve as a metaphor for something else. It is creative, and even with such dark, uncomfortable material, the film is often poetic. Right off, I got impressions of classic horror dramas like "Suspiria" and "Possession". Two films that hardly made sense at times, flowed in a dreamscape of confusion and melanchalia, but managed to be captivating and hypnotic.

"Seeds" is filmed beautifully, the characters hang between detached mimics and relatable, tragic beings. I have to admit though that a lot of the film is muddled in aimless grandeur, and it took far too long for a clear story line to emerge. There is also a very real moment when you understand the metaphorical significance, it all becomes predictable, and I wished for the confusion and mesmer to return.

The horror rests mostly on the psychological elements, more so than the monster aspect. The conflict between ones own morality and propensity for depravity is universal and always relavent. The creature, set aside it's own existence within the film, is menacing when on screen . Strikingly so! Still what I personally wanted was a representation a bit more Lovecraftian, than what I got.

Overall I left the film being a little split on my feelings. There is so much in this film that is told disturbing, beautiful. The acting is superb, and the creativity can't be denied. But I also wanted a bit more actualized, traditional horror. Still "Seeds" is film worth checking out, and a project worthy of recognition.

Firstly, the script is not that great. Some scenes feel like a waste of time. These just drag for no reason, not really establishing anything. Yet new characters appear out of nowhere and still get no introduction anyway. The editing also doesn't help, it's messy and constantly trying to be artsy. There's too much pointless symbolism in this, it's just a basic case of "trying to look smarter that you are". The whole "slowly going insane" thing was managed poorly and the film feels like a disjointed mess rather than a journey down into insanity. The ending love drama while being somewhat justified still doesn't work because they wasted too much time on pointless things and "smart symbolism" instead of building it up. I can see such a story work, but it's just not done well.

Secondly, the main lead's acting hurts me. He's not a good actor and he is constantly bad in this. His acting never changes to reflect any changes in his character. This also takes away from the story. The girl was an ok actress and this film just feels like a waste of her talent. This is a competent film, they had a nice location, some CGI here and there, and this looks good since it was shot on Red cameras (as mentioned in the credits). Some of the music tracks were good, but most of them were misused to build up tension out from nowhere.

What it all boils down to is that this could've been a good psychological love drama. The way they did it is just a boring mess nobody is going to sit through (besides me of course). I wish they would rethink and re-write this and try again, this might work.

Well I'm not exactly sure how to describe Seeds. Definitely not your typical horror. Don't know if I would even place this film in that genre. It's more of a psychological horror or some sort of cautionary tale - an unraveling of the mind. It tells of dark desires which manifests into some sort of metaphysical creature that seems to hold the two main characters accountable for their illicit longing for one another. The film walks a fine line that made me question morality and how complicated human desire can be. Seeds isn't a film that most will enjoy watching. Given the subject matter, it's uncomfortable to sit through, and the pace is slow. I'm fine with this. Feel it's deliberate slowness is what the film needed to tell this story as it did. Beautifully shot, there's almost a painterly quality about the film. The haunting score and the sound design are on cue for setting a discomfiting mood for this story of forbidden love to unravel painfully and poetically. Part of me questions if anything inappropriate actually occurred - whether any of it was real other than the longing that drove the insanity bus for the lead's (Trevor Long) ultimate demise. By the way Trevor Long is in Ozark as Cade Langmore - you will not believe this is the same dude - what a departure from that redneck lowlife character. Andrea Chen, who plays Lily, also did a fine job wielding her coming of age powers. Their dark dance had me squirming in my seat to the bitter end. And my guess is this is entirely what the director, Owen Long, intended. Bold bit of filmmaking going on here. Impressive for a first time director. Don't know how some more seasoned directors would tackle such difficult subject matter, but as far as this avid indie film buff is concerned, this was handled remarkably well - my screws were tightened real tight! By the end I was filled with pity and sympathy, and longing for a shower and a stiff cocktail.