Well I'm not exactly sure how to describe Seeds. Definitely not your typical horror. Don't know if I would even place this film in that genre. It's more of a psychological horror or some sort of cautionary tale - an unraveling of the mind. It tells of dark desires which manifests into some sort of metaphysical creature that seems to hold the two main characters accountable for their illicit longing for one another. The film walks a fine line that made me question morality and how complicated human desire can be.
Seeds isn't a film that most will enjoy watching. Given the subject matter, it's uncomfortable to sit through, and the pace is slow. I'm fine with this. Feel it's deliberate slowness is what the film needed to tell this story as it did. Beautifully shot, there's almost a painterly quality about the film. The haunting score and the sound design are on cue for setting a discomfiting mood for this story of forbidden love to unravel painfully and poetically.
Part of me questions if anything inappropriate actually occurred - whether any of it was real other than the longing that drove the insanity bus for the lead's (Trevor Long) ultimate demise. By the way Trevor Long is in Ozark as Cade Langmore - you will not believe this is the same dude - what a departure from that redneck lowlife character. Andrea Chen, who plays Lily, also did a fine job wielding her coming of age powers.
Their dark dance had me squirming in my seat to the bitter end. And my guess is this is entirely what the director, Owen Long, intended. Bold bit of filmmaking going on here. Impressive for a first time director. Don't know how some more seasoned directors would tackle such difficult subject matter, but as far as this avid indie film buff is concerned, this was handled remarkably well - my screws were tightened real tight! By the end I was filled with pity and sympathy, and longing for a shower and a stiff cocktail.
