Sun Choke

For me at least, this film is a masterpiece of extreme character study and psych intrigue extracted from a very minimal budget, but parlayed into a brilliantly visual and emotional experience.

It would be redundant to replicate the detailed description that has been more than aptly articulated by previous reviewers, so I'll simply limit my commentary to a general sense of quality of experience, and in that context, this production deserves high marks.

Yes, some of the editing can seem to be a bit jagged, like a puzzle who's pieces snap into place at quasi random moments, but still leave enough holes to require a fair amount of contemplation for the viewer to complete the intended picture.

But that's part of the beauty of this production, in that it absolutely pulls you in, requiring an attention to detail without becoming a tedious exercise for comprehension.

Sarah Hagan matches her character as Janie perfectly. If anything, she makes the experience uniquely hers, as it would be difficult to imagine anyone else being able to capture the essence of Janie with such depth and precision.

The content itself is disturbing, make no doubt about that.

This film is certainly not for everyone. But for those who can appreciate this genre of story and character study, it's a superb expression of the artform.

Sun Choke is an unusual but solid film. It's not especially original but especially with the strong performances of the two leads it's different enough in presentation that it's not a boring watch.

So why am I writing a review? To express my bewilderment that there are multiple comparisons in other reviews to the Greek film Dogtooth. I had to stretch my brain to near breaking to realize, "Oh yes, there is one tiny aspect of similarity, but even that utterly marginal plot point falls under another few seconds of scrutiny." Anyone comparing these two films: A, hasn't seen Dogtooth; B, hasn't seen Sun Choke; C, saw both but was too busy shopping on Amazon Prime to notice what was happening during either film.

For what it's worth, I'm one of the sad minority who thought Dogtooth was not a masterpiece. Interesting premises, boring results. Maybe I'm just not intellectual enough. Of the two films, Sun Choke is the more fleshed-out and for most viewers will likely be the more enjoyable. Watch Dogtooth if you want a bunch of random ideas that are never really built into any kind of thesis, which I'm sure is more enjoyable if you're not interested in the writer's or director's opinions on their own themes. It's an utter Rorschach test of a film. While far from typical, Sun Choke is much more traditional in terms of plot (of which Dogtooth has almost none) and character development (of which Dogtooth is completely devoid)

Jane (Sarah Hagan ) has been spending the last few weeks (maybe months or years?) of her life stuck in her spacious, but cold Hollywood hills home under the care of nurse Irma (Barbara Crampton). It seems that something happened in Janie's life to force her into seclusion, but Irma feels that, now, enough time has passed for Janie to at least try to go outside and mingle with the rest of the world.

On her first day out, Janie notices a young woman who she becomes enamored with and she begins stalking her and, soon, she's coming in late much to the chagrin of Irma who has to find a way to keep her in line. In typical horror film fashion, things don't go as expected and a few people have to die.

Despite the gorgeous visuals and excellent performances, Sun Choke is a confounding and confusing experience from start to finish. At first, one thinks that perhaps the filmmakers are withholding important information from us to build towards some major revelation or twist at the end, but once the end credits come up, we're just as confused as we were when we first started the film.

Why is Janie cooped up in the house? What happened to her mother? Where's her father? Because we don't know a thing about Janie or her circumstances, it makes it nearly impossible to root for her and she becomes a cardboard cutout. What could have been an interesting story about two very different women becomes an empty spectacle for extreme violence with no answers.

Sun Choke almost feels as if the filmmakers secured a great location and cast and just made it up as they went along.

Gratuitous sex scenes, gratuitous (female as per usual) nudity, close-up gory blood and violence. All those predictable clichés and for what? A story about a mental patient with a weird Auntie. No real twists or plot and plenty of things that don't add up or make sense and are never explained.

This movie was actually pretty incredible. It calls your attention using very little, leaving you to decide what's reality and what isn't. It's a successful movie - well and cryptically written, gorgeous and intimate cinematography, and a strange and daring story that is pretty hard to watch at times.

I definitely enjoyed what this movie brought, how it gives us enough to estimate who this protagonist is - I'm not going to give anything away, but really what this movie ends up being is an inside to someone's personal hell. It's sad, dark, and even terrifying. Really. It's terrifying, it's expressive, it's raw. Doesn't hold off - and nothing, to me in the least, feels contrived. It all happens for a reason, whether it's really happening or not. It has some really powerful images that stick with you after viewing, things that make you think and wonder.

I really recommend this film for indie lovers and for those who want to see something really dark and really psychological. The acting is great, and overall it's a beautiful and personal film about what this girl is going through and why. I ended up loving this film. See it for yourself. It's DEFINITELY not for everyone, with graphic nudity, violence, so on so forth, but it's all worth while. Great film that no one's heard of. Super intense, but has me thinking for a while after watching it - and planning another rewatch soon.