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| Images courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures |
Tereza Nvotova's Nightsiren is one of the most beautifully appalling forays into the folk horror subgenre ever conceived. Historically the genre was constructed to not only provoke, but to explore various social themes and mores via cultural history, superstition, and witch-laden supernatural terror. Nvotova subverts expectations, both with a ruthless accusatory expose of misogyny and a slick narrative framework that contrasts brutal violence with a celebration of female empowerment. Featuring a strong central duo of performances, nightmarish visuals, and a relentless ambiance of disquiet, this is one of the best horror films of the year.
Sarlota returns to her isolated mountain community years
after a mysterious and tragic accident and finds that the obscene customs of
her people are alive and well. Finding a kindred spirit in an older ally,
Sarlota sets about righting wrongs of the past while discovering shocking,
esoteric truths about who she is and the power she wields. Nvotova and Barbara
Namerova's script is a fever dream. Comparisons to The Witch
and Midsommar are unavoidable, but the symbolism and dream-like
atmosphere that pervades the story is the perfect mechanism of
presentation. This is a violent, sexually charged film filled with repulsive
scenes of sexual assault, strange, primal rituals that make little sense, and
shocking scenes of brutality. The otherworldly vibe is what allows these
opposing elements to blend into one another morphing from a horrific rape in
one sequence to a wild witch orgy in the next. The end result is familiar
territory, but it is the journey that is of import in Nightsiren.
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Natalia Germani and Eva Mores star as Sarlota and Mira
respectively. What begins as opposite ends of the spectrum eventually
morphs into a singular, feminine experience. The way in which each woman
embodies their anguish is masterful, as it is pain, degradation, and oppression
that shapes the lives of women in this lost community, and perhaps the world
beyond. Odious men are constantly in their orbit, murderous meteorites
threatening to impact without warning and yet, it is through this crucible that
a true sense of self and of freedom is found.
Federico Cesca's astonishing cinematography is the strongest element, and perhaps
some of the most powerful camera work of the year. Long, desperate shots
intermingle with dangerous closeups, highlighting the pristine natural beauty
that surrounds a community of abject repugnance, walking the line between these
two extremes with harmonious bliss. The mix between the atrocities
of reality and the more magical elements is perfectly bifurcated and then
insidiously mixed together, creating both confusion and mystique.
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Coming soon to digital streaming, Nightsiren is an arduous viewing experience that will challenge the viewer without any explanation as to why. Much like in reality, bad things are visited upon the innocent time and time again and this film reminds us of that truth time and time again. This may frustrate some viewers, but the reward is in the journey. If a sexual, violent pro-feminist neo-fable is of interest, this film will bewitch, but be warned, no one is coming to save you.
--Kyle Jonathan