Deep Dark

I get lonely here all by myself. How about I help you make mobiles, and in return, all you have to do is spend time with me? That's it? That's it. Partners? Uh, yeah, yeah, partners. If you had a hand, I'd shake it.

There are movies that go beyond your understanding. You're left behind with a "what-the-hell-was-this" feeling. Films which are sinister, totally crazy and utterly surreal. Movies that'll make you say : "This can never be outperformed in terms of bizarreness". And then there's "Deep Dark". Too bizarre for words. Surreal and unreal at the same time. An ancient concept is used again though. It's another case study about an individual who pursues a specific goal and tries to achieve this at any cost. A kind of "3 wishes" principle with the additional nasty boomerang effect. It returns and hits you straight in the face.

Hermann Haig (Sean McGrath) is an artist who attempts to create modern and contemporary art. However, this doesn't work very well and people aren't that enthusiastic about his creations (mobiles with all sorts of recycled waste hanging on it). Nevertheless, he believes he has the talent and thinks there's something subtle missing to make real crowd pullers of his artwork. In desperation he asks his uncle for advice. Promptly this fellow rents out an apartment to Hermann. In that way he can find inspiration while being isolated from the outside world. A kind of a retreat so he'd be able to bring out that deep-rooted talent. Unfortunately, that deeply rooted talent remains right there where it was all along. And this to the dismay and despair of Hermann. When he's about to call it quits, Hermann discovers a hole in the wall. And to his surprise, something starts to communicate with him. First by means of a wire with a note attached to it. Afterwards the hole in the wall starts to speak to Hermann with a sensual female voice. And gradually this phenomenon helps him with his art.

It's rather difficult to link this film to a particular genre. You can't call it horror. But the opening scene might be shocking or disturbing to some. And the denouement has a surprise or two in store. But it really isn't scary or frightening at all. It seemed to have a direct line to my funny bone. Although it's certainly not comedy. Or you think that malicious pleasure is something humorous. It's also not fantasy. Just like in "Her" there's an invisible entity that talks to the protagonist with a sensual voice, only it's no software. And this time there's something physical to discern. That mysterious hole. A hole that hides a personality that yearns for attention and intimacy. And yes, you can expect the unexpected. Can you say there's some perverse humor in it? Yep indeed. I could label it as real estate porn.

You'll definitely have many unanswered questions afterwards. Where does the phenomenon come from? Was Hermann his uncle successful because of this? And what the hell are those slimy objects Hermann uses in his art? To be honest, the mobiles he creates afterwards, still look like garbage and worthless. However, the effect it has on spectators is pretty drastic. The only downside is the rather slow buildup. But otherwise this is a bizarre and strange film that I watched in amazement. Do you love something so macabre and crazy, with someone slowly sliding into something completely insane, than this is the perfect movie for you. However, I'm sure I'll be looking at a hole in the wall in a complete different way. I never thought a stupid hole in the wall could turn me on.

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Like Herman, the main character, this movie is lacking something. Great concept if you're into weird stuff, the story moves along nicely in the first half of the movie but then... Something goes wrong. It gets too slow, performances are subpar, the jealous artist and the girlfriend in particular, and the killings arrive too late. Things should have escalated further somewhere along the part the manager goes into the bedroom (whatever happened to her by the way?). It would be nice to explore other aspects of the story, like the hole's origin and Herman's feelings about it. I was hoping this would be one of those misunderstood gems with an unfair rating, but nope. It is lacking.

This film is undeniably absurd; every aspect of this film screams "surrealism," from the refusal to fully explain or justify the strangeness of the plot to awkward, uncomfortable sex scenes. As I'm a fan of such movies, I enjoyed my viewing and was pleased to view something I hadn't seen repackaged and rebranded a hundred times before. Should you watch this film? If you're in the mood for something different and unique, sure. If you're expecting the film the poster and description portrays - that is, a disturbing and violent horror flick - then I think you'd be better suited looking for and watching something else. That's not to suggest this movie is without violence or gore, but compared to some of the more well-known surreal horror films (Videodrome, Eraser Head, and House, for example) this is a rather tame movie. However, be advised: there is an underlying theme of body horror throughout the film. If "gross out" (though the "ick factor" of this film is slight) isn't your thing, I'd recommend looking for something different to watch.

Not bad or good, the movie is pretty much different from everything else I've been watching lately. But come on? One hour and eighteen minutes of a talking head and a failed sculptor? I had to give it a try. I would advice someone thinking about watching it to just give it a try.

Struggling artist Hermann (Sean McGrath) leases a rundown apartment from his uncle and continues to struggle with his mobile-centered art pieces. That is until a tiny hole in the wall spits out a string with a note attached saying, "Relax, I can help." The hole begins speaking to him in a seductive female voice and soon the hole starts producing tumors (!) that Hermann places on his mobiles. The fleshy orbs intoxicate any viewer, making Hermann an instant success in the local art scene. Of course, the partnership comes with a price. I was drawn to this horror dark comedy just by the poster and one sentence plot synopsis on TubiTV. Writer-director Michael Medaglia delivers on the film's weird promise, coming off almost as a low budget combo between David Lynch and latter day Henenlotter. The premise might run a little thin at 80 minutes but I was entertained the entire time. His skewering of the indie art world is hilarious.