Upurga
Director Ulges Ote blends blends folk horror, eco horror, surrealism, and absurdism to mystifying, eerie effect in his Latvian narrative feature debut Upurga. Andrejs (Igors Selegovskis) is a river rafting guide haunted by his inability to save a young woman from drowning. When his sister Mara (Elvita Ragovska) and her boyfriend Matiaas (Rihaard Sniegs) plan a trip to the wilds to shoot a vegan sausage commercial — along with videographer Oskars (Reinis Boters) and director/project manager Eva (Inga Tropa) — Andrejs insists on coming along to ensure everyone’s safety, though the others are far less concerned about that and more intent on having a good time and creating a worthy advertisement. Inspector Salins (Morten Traavik), the local park ranger, warns the group to respect nature and leave his jurisdiction within 30 minutes, but naturally the group members ignore his warnings. That turns out to be a poor decision, as exposure to the local flora makes them act in aggressive manners, including displaying voracious sexual appetites. After one such encounter, Andrejs wakes up by himself and searches for the now-missing rest of his party. Ote peppers his enigmatic sylvan chiller with flashes of humor, and is aided by solid performances from his game cast members. Viewers who give into Upurga’s offbeat atmosphere and proceedings are bound to find it a peculiar but worthwhile journey, though the ending may feel too neatly packaged for some.
God’s Petting You
Riffing on the tried-and-true, if overdone, film noir trope of a man and a femme fatale resorting to desperate measures that include knocking off a significant other and making off with their money, U.K. dark crime comedy God’s Petting You offers enough humurous variations on the theme to warrant a recommendation. Charlie (George Webster) is a heroin addict who attends recovery meetings just to meet his dealer. At one such meeting, a tattooed young woman (Skye Lourie) attends for the first time, and as Charlie gives her a ride home, he learns that she is a sex addict — and that she has a wealthy abusive boyfriend who happens to be a porn star. Charlie has it together enough to know that he has feelings for her and wants to get her out of her toxic relationship, and she is wise enough to know not to trust a junkie. But lust and greed win out over common sense, as they often do, and soon enough Charlie and the girl plot to steal the actor’s cash and head off toward a better life. Webster and Lourie have fun chemistry together, and Alice Lowe turns in an intriguing performance as Charlie’s therapist. Yes, the set-up is a familiar one, but writer/director Jamie Patterson (The Kindred; Caught) infuses his latest film with engaging dialogue, dry wit, and some effective surprises.
Upurga and God’s Petting You screened as part of Fantaspoa 2022. For more information on the festival, please visit www.fantaspoa.com.
