The Blazing World

SUNDANCE 2021 REVIEW -

Holy cow, this film was phenomenal. Caught it during the virtual Sundance screening and I am still in awe. This film was so wild and imaginative. It borders on horror and fantasy but brings the two together beautifully.

Carlson Young is already an amazing actor (and this film just proves that ten fold) but to see her directing skills? I cannot get enough. The way she has the audience view this film deserves a whole essay on its own.

I have many more thoughts but gotta rush to make the next screening.

Absolutely loved this film to pieces and it's symbology. I'm so excited to see who picks this one up because it deserves to be seen by a broader audience!

The Blazing World, the fantasy thriller from writer/director Carlson Young, opens on the unfortunate drowning of a young girl while her parents and twin sister are distracted. Years later, Margaret, the surviving twin sister, still struggles with the death, the devolving relationship between her parents, and the visions of the mysterious man who appeared to her when her sister drowned. Now, believing her sister may still be alive in a different dimension, Margaret sets out in a journey of self discovery through the darkest corners of her imagination. Part Alice in Wonderland, part Coraline, part Lynchian nightmare, The Blazing World attempts to address trauma through unconventional means.

Starring Carlson Young, working on both sides of the camera, the acting is the weakest component of The Blazing World. Young is unconvincing as Margaret, the film's lead, caught in a self destructive pattern while dealing with her parent's violently crumbling marriage and the possibility of her twin sister being alive in an alternate world. Had the film been lead by a more competent actress, it may have been a more salvageable product but as it stands, Young's performance greatly hinders the overall result. Likewise, Udo Kier (Europe's answer to Nicolas Cage) sleepwalks through his line deliveries, mumbling his way to a paycheck. The only two people who seems to be attempting anything approaching decent is Dermot Mulroney and Vinessa Shaw as Margaret's parents. They're the highlights of the film as they bicker and argue their way through scenes together and show surprising depths of loneliness when in scenes with Maragaret separately.

The Blazing World is director Carlson Young's full length adaptation of her 13 minute short of the same name that premiered at Sundance in 2018. Sadly, the feature length version is a reminder that some short stories are better left as short stories. The strange riff, or maybe homage, to Alice in Wonderland is caught up in a meandering story that winds up being a bit of an incoherent mess, narratively. Young seems to be modeling the tone of the film after the works of directors like David Lynch and Terry Gilliam, but the cute camera tricks used to convey doubt or disorientation are quickly overused, turning them into more gimmicks than effective tools. Without enough story to stretch the adaptation, the film feels far longer than its 99 minute runtime suggests. Still, for all that, Young has a clear, firm vision of what she wants the film to be, I just don't think her vision matches the subject matter at hand. For a movie that's supposedly addressing untreated grief and mental health issues, the decision to attempt style over substance isn't a great idea; whether this was the trappings of a rookie director attempting to ape the works of established directors or just Young attempting to do her own thing, The Blazing World comes across as a hollow, empty foray into touching on serious issues.

Overall, The Blazing World, while noble in its intentions, falls well short of the mark on execution. Subpar acting does the film little favor as some actors struggle to work with the bad writing and some look like it might be their first time on camera. While this isn't a film to be avoided at all costs, it's not a film that should be eagerly sought out: it's a movie to queue up with friends and stiff drinks after all other movie options have been exhausted. The Blazing World is in select theaters and everywhere on demand October 15th.

I like The Blazing World - a dark fantasy journey with some fine moments and some well crafted and composed visuals. The story for sure got some weak spots too, but anyway, this one I recommend to all those souls who like their dish sometimes served with unusual spices.

THE BLAZING WORLD is the journey of one woman to reclaim her past and face her devastating depression from a childhood trauma, all presented as a dark fairy tale. Think Nicolas Winding Refn directing a script from David Lynch inspired by Lewis Carroll. First time filmmaker Carlson Young uses dazzling, darkly neon, and twisted visuals to tell this story, and her striking vision puts her great talent on full display. Dermot Mulroney impresses and Udo Kier is damn creepy. Crushing and gorgeous to watch with an utterly haunting score, the film is a mesmerizing, emotional experience you won't soon forget. Bravo Carlson Young!

The Blazing World is a very ambitious film based on a very old, ambitious piece of literature. It's not quite sci-fi. It's not quite supernatural. It's not quite dreamlike. It somehow fits in between all of these. And that part servrs the film well. It's deeply uncomfortable and atmospheric. You can see the influences of other works on this film. It really seems like 70s horror.

What doesn't work about the film is it's slow and meanders a bit much. Not everything works. Some creepy stuff comes off silly. And without a sense of the rules of this universe, it can make the stakes in some scenes feel nebulous. The acting is also mostly good but sometimes it's a bit hit and miss.

Overall, I liked it but it's kind of a movie you have to to into it knowing it's a flawed experience. Don't expect perfection. Just expect something strange, atmospheric, with some really great moments that sometimes falls short. I'll take failed ambition over just another cookie cutter movie.