Ascension

Saw this at Cinequest Festival in San Jose / Redwood / Silicon Valley. Didn't know what to expect but found myself sucked in from the start. The film showed a respect for its female characters, all strong performances, in a way we still dont' see enough of these days. It was a slow burn that got uber intense by the end. Thought the visuals and digital effects were pretty out of the box for this type of movie and aesthetic-wise, I would could probably best call it the love child of Virgin Suicides and Enter the Void. Which is pretty cool if you think about it cuz neither is sci fi or horror. But it felt natural to the story. Still find my mind wandering off to this indie flick's weird and artful cliffhanger ending and really really want to know what the hell happens next.

Troubled Angela (Ana Mulvoy Ten) is struggling to maintain her troubled family after her mother's death. It's not helped as her sister Becca changes under alien influence. This is a low budget B-horror. It could do more to instill questions about Angela's sanity. It definitely should not show the alien effects until the second half of the movie. It should start with Angela in a mental hospital being treated. It should play up her mental instability. I like that the movie keeps waking her up after some strange occurrence which suggests that it's all in her nightmares. All in all, this is a small horror indie and it doesn't have quite enough.

I've been part of the indie festival circuit for quite some time now and have seen hundreds of films. This movie intrigued me because of all the buzz and awards it's received around the globe. I finally watched it and was pleasantly surprised by the masterful directing and writing. It really taps into the anxiety of our times in terms of being brainwashed by external forces outside of our comprehension and control. It also tackles the themes of mental illness. Most importantly, it paints a vivid picture of the interpersonal paranoia in the age of COVID.

There is a clear knowledge and appreciation of the genre seen through the visual aesthetics that references such classics as Rosemary's Baby and Video Drome. Ascension s a true indiei film and a diamond in the rough.