Acting

Despite its limited budget Acting reminded me of a lot of the European cinema I enjoy with it feeling like it went for a vibe somewhere between Italian Gaillo movies and some of the sexual tension of early Almodovar films within it's style.

But in all honesty this film isn't really about the style or vibe they went for its about the central performance of the lead actress. She's in every scene and every moment and all the tension and suspense and story is built through her and she fully delivers. The concept needed a lead actress that could handle the role, and she excels. The time and space within the films framework gives her a chance to flesh the character out and build on it and she takes full advantage.

The sinister undertone through-out feel even more biting and creepy through her performance and that really brings the film to life. Highly recommend it for fans of No Budget horrors but really it's a throughly decent film for any audience that enjoys these sort of genre pieces.

Acting (made by TrashArts) is an unusual beast and not for everyone as the lack of a traditional narrative, and the fractured timeline make following Una's arc tricky. In fact, it took me watching it twice to fully appreciate and understand everything going on in the film. Trash Arts, the British production company behind Acting, is known for genre entries, having created Millenial Killer, Lonely Hearts, and Monstrous Disunion, to name a few. The interesting thing about all these titles is while ostensibly horror, they are all different examples of the genre. And Mason-Bell has never produced anything quite like this before. Annabella Rich delivers a star-making performance, and Mason-Bell has crafted a tightly wound, engaging thriller that rewards viewers upon rewatch after rewatch.