Resurrección

Writer-Director Andrew Seaman's RESURRECTION is a dark psychological thriller about a single mother, Margaret (brilliantly essayed by Rebecca Hall) working at a pharmaceutical company. At first, her life seems orderly enough and she privately counsels a young intern at the firm, Gwyn (Angela Wong Carbone). Margaret's daughter Abbie (Grace Kaufman) is on the verge of turning 18 which causes some pre-emptory empty nest issues. Margaret is also carrying on an affair with a married man (Michael Esper). Tensions boil over when an Ex, David (Tim Roth; quietly malevolent), suddenly shows up in town.

Hall's performance is eerily intense from the start. An eight minute long uncut monologue reveals much of what her character is going though, and Hall commands the screen. As Margaret's concerns grow, the ante builds and builds into a mania. Hall's fervid acting becomes genuinely frightening intense. As the film reaches it's finale it is almost aggressively uncomfortable to watch. And, that's even BEFORE the movie reaches its actual climax!

RESURRECTION treads the line between straight drama, thriller and horror film only dipping into the latter at the very end (and quite graphically; the perverse symbolism will also turn-off some viewers). Hall's performance carries the movie on her back. It may not be a pleasant movie to view, but, she - and the movie -- will stick with you long after the end credits roll.

Great acting, directing and cinematography cannot save what amounts to a big old nothing burger of a story/plot.

The film is very engaging to watch, sets were chosen well, Albany, NY makes an interesting backdrop.

But after we're fully introduced to the villain, the story stops making any rational sense. It's just not believable.

'Resurrection' is the type of film that makes me really miss the IMDb message boards. I used to love the discussion and theories thrown about on ambiguous films like this one. There's a lot going on in this one and it isn't always clear what is real and what is not.

The film reminded me of another 2022 film 'Men'. It was done in a different way (for the most part) but had similar themes and messages. That one was a little more in your face with its message, whereas 'Resurrection' holds its cards a little closer to its chest.

I couldn't complete this review without mentioning Rebecca Hall. She may just be the best actress working at the moment. She is so captivating to watch. She has all the gears too. Her character has a massive arc in this film and she nails every stage of it. She has an 8 minute dialogue at one point that is mesmerising to watch.

I really enjoyed this film. There will be some who find they don't get enough answers. But equally there will be plenty of audience members who like the idea of putting the puzzle together themselves. I recommend checking this one out. 8/10.

So many films these days suck you in with a really good start, keep you invested with a well developed middle, then let down with a poor or muddled ending. I still don't get this one at all. But worth it for Rebecca's monologue in the middle.

The story doesn't start until its halfway over. The whole thing was guessing what it was about. Good acting, horrible movie. I hope 2022 has more than this to offer.