The Wasting

Odd story line..keeps you guessing. I watched it for Alexz Johnson. And she KILLED it. Her acting chops have gotten so good. Love her character too. And a ton of her original music appears which is awesome.

The Wasting was a Canadian-British production that wasn't sure whether it wanted to be a drama or a horror film. The film focuses on Sophie (Lauren McQueen), an 18-year-old girl suffering from anorexia and seems to suffer from hallucinations, but she believes she's being haunted. There was a solid core for a film and Lauren McQueen did give a strong performance as her character degrades physically and mentally. But the rest of the film suffered from weak acting from the North American characters and the horror elements didn't become evident until the final third.

I caught this movie the week it opened and am I ever glad I did. I knew nothing about it, except that Alexz Johnson was in it. That was enough to get me to the theatre, and once I was there, I discovered a really cool little movie. Its part horror, part coming of age, and I really appreciated that combination. It gave it many layers, and every scene and every line had a purpose. The story follows a teenage girl, Sophie, whose fights with her father lead to her becoming anorexic (he is a cook and when she refuses his food its like she's scored a point against him). She begins to see a supernatural being, but her friends and family think she is hallucinating. I won't say more than that, except that the story of what is really going on will keep you glued to your seat to the very end. The side-story of how her friends can't face up to her anorexia is also extremely realistic and weaves in seamlessly to enhance the main plotline. It works on all its levels because the acting is consistently excellent from the whole cast, even though most of them are not well known. The four friends are perfect. Alexz Johnson plays her best role yet as a strong, kind of mouthy woman who doesn't take crap. English actress Lauren McQueen plays Sophie without histrionics, but with a subtlety that makes you love her and believe in her. I think she is going to be a huge movie star in the near future. Sean Stevenson as her boyfriend is so sincere, he makes you truly care about his character. The chemistry between him and Sophie reminded me of Twilight (though it's not a vampire movie). Brendan Flynn as his brother Kai is an incredibly interesting actor to watch. For someone who looks the way he does, he seems so vulnerable and likeable that even when he's doing terrible things, you understand why. That's part of what I love about this movie: the characters are not cardboard cutouts. They all have a good side and a bad side, just like real people, and these four actors show us both sides to perfection. I'll add that the movie has a beautiful look as well. The cinematography is epic with amazing scenery and interesting camera work. For a small indie movie, The Wasting overall looks and plays like a much bigger movie. And it definitely keeps you thinking for a long time after you leave the theatre.

The Wasting (2017) is a psychological horror film written and directed by Carolyn Saunders. It is based on a true story.

Lauren McQueen gives a stellar performance playing Sophie, the protagonist. She plays a young woman in love battling possessive parents, an eating disorder and an evil supernatural presence. The film dramatizes Sophie's attempts to break free from the controlling influences of her parents but things spiral out of control.

Alexz Johnson plays Grace, her devoted, best friend. Brendan Flynn plays Kai, Grace's boyfriend and Liam's brother. Sean Stevenson plays Liam, Sophie's love interest. Gray O'Brien plays IIyas, her overly protective and controlling Chechen father, and Shelagh McLeod plays Valerie, her loving and controlling mother.

The film opens with a wide angle shot of a long take of an overcast river landscape. Leaves are fluttering in the wind, and birds are chirping. The camera pans across to a girl sitting on a stone bench lost in her thoughts. She is in focus and as are her immediate surroundings but there appears for a fleeting moment on the greens in the background a blurred image of a person moving towards Sophie and then, the unknown person disappears from view. Sophie's father, IIyas shows up, and asks her to join him on a walk but she declines wishing to be on her own.

Sophie's attempts to break free from the controlling influences of her parents, her hallucinations and the supernatural occurrences weave themselves throughout the narrative creating fear, drama and suspense juxtaposed against the bucolic, quaint English countryside.

Johnson, Flynn and Stevenson give poignant portrayals of their characters. I was moved by Grace's unwavering support and advocacy for Sophie, and by Liam's love especially when he drew a small ink outline of a heart on her palm to symbolize his love.

The Wasting is a visually appealing film juxtaposing the real and unreal which leaves you guessing and questioning what is really happening. Is Sophie a young woman truly battling a supernatural presence or deeply disturbed? Is she sane or insane? Is she being perceived inaccurately by others? Close ups and medium angle shots are interspersed with wide angle shots of the English countryside. The continuous 360 degree camera shot involving Sophie, Grace, Kai and Liam sitting in a circle outdoors enhances the drama adding an additional layer of complexity to the film, and creating a feeling of motion sickness. And the scenes involving Sophie, Liam, Kai and her father IIyas trapped in the institution's decrepit, dank, and dark basement are both nail-biting and bewildering. If you want to find out what happens to Sophie, well, you've got to watch the film.

The Wasting is a provocative film. Fans of the psychological horror genre will love it. Saunders has woven many visual and sound elements to create a compelling film that shines a light on perception and reality.

I fell asleep - I really did. It was that bad...The actors looked bored too, Im not surprised by the terrible repetitive lines they had to deliver from an awful script