The Antenna

Trailer was better this movie was to drawn out. And very boring.

I saw this at TIFF last week and it was one that I really had high hopes for. The trailer was compelling, the description of it drawing from artists such as David Cronenberg (one of my favourites) certainly piqued my interests, and that it was out of Turkey made it stand out as a top of film I hadn't seen come out of that region.

Sadly, this is one of those unfortunate cases of a very talented visual director clearly not caring enough about narrative or performance to give his film any emotional weight. The story is bare-bones, disjointed, and to be frank has no sense of establishing a believable reality. It's a gift with beautiful packaging where the box is empty inside.

Directors such as David Lynch frequently go into the realm of the ambiguous. However, they always have a narrative line from beginning to end built around memorable characters. The Antenna has none of this. The characters are unrelatable in every fashion to the point where you don't care what happens to them in the least, the situations have no grounding in any set reality, and by the end of the film the only events one can remember are the inciting moment and the event that leads up to the conclusion. One could literally replace parts of the film with anything else and it wouldn't make a single difference to the meaning or the outcome.

Additionally, the cast was seemingly given no direction to make anything even remotely interesting. Near the beginning of the film, the main character goes onto a roof to investigate something and actually walks right to the focal point without looking around for even a second or examining anything. At that point, I was fairly convinced I had seen the height of what the performances in the film would entail. Sadly, I was right.

The film is filled with these paint-by-numbers performances where it is clear the director simply wanted to go through the actions so he could get to a cool camera shot. Encouraging -or even allowing- the performers to explore might actually have saved some of this film. But with an almost non-existent story and actors being given practically no time to perform let alone emote, any emotional weight that could have been was lost.

I will give credit to the director for having a good eye. Quite a number of sequences and camera shots were very unique and well laid out. There were some creative choices in how to present scenes that lend me to believe this director has a future on the visual side. However, he has a long way to go in terms knowing how to build a compelling narrative and how to work with actors to achieve great performances.

The movie has been severely abused. Orcun Behram should get used to it. Because all directors who make horror / dystopian films are exposed to such injustices. Horror cinema / literature is still not considered art literature / by some bigots. I personally liked the movie with its editing and cinematography.

"The Antenna" (2019) is a Turkish horror film that explores themes of surveillance, control, and the insidious influence of technology. Directed by Orçun Behram, the film follows Mehmet, the superintendent of a crumbling apartment complex, as he witnesses the installation of a new government-mandated antenna.

The film effectively builds suspense through a slow-burn approach, creating a sense of unease and paranoia. The cinematography is striking, capturing the claustrophobic atmosphere of the apartment building and the unsettling presence of the antenna. The performances are solid, with Ihsan Önal delivering a compelling portrayal of Mehmet as he grapples with the increasingly bizarre and terrifying events unfolding around him.

"The Antenna" offers a thought-provoking commentary on the erosion of privacy and the potential dangers of unchecked government surveillance. The film's allegorical elements, while subtle, add depth to the narrative and encourage viewers to consider the implications of technology in our modern world.

However, the film's pacing may feel slow for some viewers, and the narrative may not fully resolve all of its mysteries. Additionally, the film's reliance on jump scares may not be to everyone's taste.

Despite these minor shortcomings, "The Antenna" is a unique and unsettling horror film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. It's a must-see for fans of atmospheric horror and those interested in films that explore social and political themes.

Disclaimer: This review is based on available information and may not reflect the full nuances of the film.

Please note: This information is for general knowledge and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional critical analysis.