Subject (2023)
Australian shocker Subject centers on Willem (Stephen Phillips), who we meet when he is under arrest and in a police van, only to be taken away by mysterious agent Dalesky (director Tristan Barr), who offers him an alternative to prison. Willem, who proclaims innocence of any crime, accepts the offer, which involves observing a monster in the room next to his while being denied contact with any other human other than Dalesky, who conducts occasional question-and-answer sessions involving electrical shocks. Memories reminiscent of home movies cloud Willem’s mind, bringing back thoughts of his late wife Carrie (Cecilia Low) and their two daughters, most of which are unpleasant. Barr, working from a screenplay by Vincent Befi, builds the mystery and suspense terrifically, leaving open to viewer interpretation exactly what is happening to the highly troubled Willem. Phillips is on screen for the majority of the film, and he gives a fine performance depicting his complex character. Challenging, intriguing, and at times heartbreaking, Subject blends the real-life horrors of drug addiction, psychological unraveling, and loss with otherworldly horror in a highly original genre outing that comes strongly recommended.
Subject releases via Cineverse as a Screambox Original on August 22nd and via Umbrella Entertainment in Australia in early October.
Psychosis (2023)
Writer/director Pirie Martin’s black-and-white genre mash-up Psychosis (Australia, 2023) is a head-scratching, chin-rubbing mind bender. Blending elements of horror, film noir, dark comedy, psychedelia, and a smidgen of science fiction, the film finds hired gun Cliff Van Aarle (Derryn Amoroso) taking a job to support his comatose sister and her hospital bills. He suffers from constant voices in his head, which often send contrasting messages while bombarding him with negative ones. During the job, he encounters boss battles, a masked lone wolf vigilante, hypnotists, mind-altering drugs, and a mysterious villain who may be a monster in more ways than one. Directed with devil-may-care verve by Martin, who may be the only person on Earth who fully understands everything going on in his film, this arthouse indie bout of madness is recommended for the adventurous, the curious, and aficionados of offbeat cinema.
Subject and Psychosis screen as part of the 2023 Popcorn Frights Film Festival, which runs August 10–20, 2023 with both in-person screenings and a virtual lineup available to viewers in the United States. For more information, visit https://popcornfrights.com/.
