Dariuss

A meta-cinema, dark erotica underground experimental indi horror. Inspired by various cinema methods such as German expressionism, but creating its own style, DARIUSS is an extremely unique bold expedition feature debut from filmmaker Guerrilla Metropolitana. Lower budget but once again demonstrating the LOT you achieve using little, with a clear artistic vision. It's unlike most any other horrors seen before and certainly not following tropes or formats of mainstream slasher. It's a journey and cinemagraphic experience, bringing an audience in as less watcher and more a witness. It's a portrait of pain, loss, voyerism, and madness. The performances were just what was needed for tone, but tone was the overall gemstone here. Combining layered visuals with an eternally unsettling soundtrack, keeps a viewer in a constant state of engagement and discomfort. No doubt this will be a polarising viewing to different extremes. Very likely not a journey for lovers of the mainstream subgenres, unless they do also house desires for the darker, deeper, madder, artistic rides. It's new, it's intense and it's out there. There is imagery that will not simply leave you after your viewing. And has an intense sometimes beautiful soundtrack to boot. If these elements appeal to you, give a watch!

I would like to thank Guerrilla Metropolitana for giving me the opportunity to watch his new film Dariuss. This film is a one of a kind LSD induced story about the loss of a loved one, and the grief and emotional toll it takes on the surviving family. This film is not for the faint of heart, it will grab you by the throat and not let go until the credits roll. This films follows 3 family members as they try and deal with a devastating loss. You get scenes with each of the family members, and in some ways not coping with this traumatic experience. This film has no dialogue, but the director instead uses a gritty technique of having an almost asmr like sound throughout each scene. And the choices with the audio paired with the hyper stylized visuals is chilling, and scarier than any words could ever convey. Speaking on the visuals, each frame has its own way of showing the internal and external struggle of each family member. Such as one person is filmed in black and white and in close ups, which us a more claustrophobic feeling for the character. Then in the next scene, we get a day time wide shot, this helps break some of the darkness and gives a little levity but still continues to build tension throughout. The director was very deliberate and meticulous in the way he framed every scene. This movie has many of layers, and to take this film in completely, you should watch it carefully to see all of the symbolism he added into this movie. While this film will not be for everyone , I highly encourage people who enjoy cinema and have a love for seeing a writer and directors passion project come to life to seek out the movie. This is definitely a masterclass in writing, directing, and film making at its finest. Guerrilla Metrpolitana is definitely a director you should be on the look out for. All in all I highly enjoyed this movie, this is a elevated horror film on par with some A24 films, and will leave you asking the question WHO IS DARIUSS. For me this is an easy 8 out of 10.

If you think you have watched it all, think again!!! I have just finished watching DARIUSS. This Horror/ Gore/ Erotica fest feature film is not for everyone. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart, weak stomach popcorn horror fans, or highly sensitive persons. NORMIES stay clear at all times!!! In fact, it has the possibility to make your stomach churn with bile. But, if you want to watch something unprecedented to date in the independent filmmaking sphere, this little golden nugget is for you! I had the privilege to view this film just now, and there is so much to unpack about it, I will try my best to give you a review based on my opinion and experience whilst watching this bizarre, psychedelic, mind-twisting tale of a non-conventional mortifying portrayal of a family dealing with grief in ways that will either leave you baffled for hours, sickened, or feeling as if you watched something and you have no idea what the heck just happened! It's about the human psyche and how far can a film take you, until you are left pondering life and all its depravity. It's all levels of pure insanity. The madness takes your breath away. This film pushes boundaries I have not seen in years...and if you are brave enough to give it a go, you will see exactly what I mean. From the introduction, right through to the very bitter end; a rollercoaster of intense emotions grabs a hold of you and doesn't relent AT ALL!!! The intensity level is ramped up to the max and it does not damper down, there are no quiet moods or tones of lightness, it is constant darkness and bone chilling visuals, suspense and tension, imagery, sounds, music, camera shots and photography, and still shots that each tell their own sad and appalling story. There is nothing implemented into this film that doesn't have a purpose or a goal - the attention to detail is sublime. I do wonder if this film is intended for a male audience more so than us females. Whether it's due to the fact I'm a female reviewing this, I don't know, but if I was supposed to feel a certain way about this, for its gross factor and the uncomfortable images, I think I handled it very well considering it is a visceral story about some of the darkest taboos in life. As this will be a relatable story to a lot of people, the ones who understand the complex emotions and torment running through as a major thread, I think people will identify in some way to the agonising twists and turns and the full-on hard-core events that occur in this film. And will appreciate the artform it delivers in abundance. DARIUSS, although it made me squirm, took me out of my comfort zone, gave me a true sense of horror in the world, the shock value being enormous and instrumental - it confirms to me that there are movies and filmmakers out there like Guerrilla Metropolitana, who can remain true to their vision, regardless of how diabolical it can be for others to ingest. The intimate POV in the extreme graphic parts is something I have not come across, since the era of the 80's when anything went. When censorship wasn't as rigorous as it is now. An age when horror produced some of our favourite movies of all time. I have not seen anything to this caliber; it's chilling, the sound effects gruesome, and even without dialogue, (yes you heard that right! There is absolutely no dialogue, but it does not matter in this instance as it is superfluous) with the watcher only having to rely on their senses, total attention is needed to piece the storyline together (if you can!) And there is a storyline in there somewhere, believe me! Characterization is instrumental in this film. The actors and actresses take this seriously, you can tell by the way they act out their scenes. It's the characters that keep you invested in the complexities of this film. They have a purpose to present themselves as tormented and devastated - they do not disappoint. Visually, I am mind blown. Every camera shot and video clip has a purpose and an intention. Attention to detail is thorough, well developed and precise. Once you get through the intense sexual elements, the erotica, the in-your-face body shots (and trust me there are a few!) you can appreciate the film for what it is - a game changer in the world of weird and bizarre horror with a dark demented twist! Giving us a full-on experience into the minds and actions of a family broken in every way possible; physically, mentally, emotionally, and a whole heap of other uncomfortable feelings. This film will not bring you joy and happiness! The cinematography is outstanding! It's one thing I really love to focus on when it comes to movie reviews. This has intimate close-up shots that seem to brand themselves into your brain. There are symbolic elements woven in, animalistic, hypnotic and subliminal messaging, that if you blink you miss! So, pay very close attention the entire way through to after the credits, to see what happens. The way the scenes segway seamlessly together is masterful. Although some of the scenes are brutal, diabolical and unnerving, but we can see that Guerrilla Metropolitana is a master filmmaker. Not only does he deliver a film unmatched and unprecedented for our time; the editing is gripping, inspirational, intimate, and encapsulates the madness this film invokes. The tones ebb from light to dark at the beginning, in a wonderfully crafted way. Subtly we see a shift as the intensity level rises. There is excellent use of color and then the switches to black and white, with psychedelic undertones, is done with skill. The color red is a motif throughout the film. We see it everywhere. It's significant to the theme. The tone changes and morphs into dark, moody and helps to set the scene. Each scene has their own valuable role to play in the storyline, adding layering and texture to the overall plot, quite eloquently. I also get the sense of an experimentation happening, with the lighting, the sound effects, artwork, camera angles, they all make everything visceral and painfully obvious. With the POV you are featuring in the movie and that is definitely a terrifying experience, to say the least! There are elements in this film that push the boundaries on many levels. Horror as we know, is on a spectrum. Generic Hollywood big budget franchises are turning the horror genre into a joke! It's people like Guerrilla Metropolitana who should pave the way for a new type of horror, it's weird, bizarre, terrifying and all in all, it's a game changer for the world of art house cinema and the extreme horror genre! Yes, it's sickening and graphic in places, but it should be remembered for its visual and sound effects, music, cinematography, photography and art, more so than focusing on the sensitivities this film provokes. The music as I mentioned was composed by Guerrilla Metropolitana, and a couple of other people, it plays an integral part to enhance the scenes, and for setting the tone. It's very moody, dark, creepy and beautiful at the same time. The setting for each scene feels and looks authentic and realistic. There are several location changes. It's easy enough to grasp the totality of the scenes as we shift between first person POV, and third person POV. The first person POV gives the viewer a personal and intimate experience. So, be warned, it gets messy! I feel the chaos is well enough contained and vital to the story arc. I was still thinking about the concept, the storyline, the visuals, and what it all meant, well after the film ended. It does that, grips you into a psychedelic conundrum of extreme and graphic horror. Only for those who can hold onto their senses and their stomach acids can get through this film. I commend you if you make it through to the end. As this is an hour long, there is no way I could have gone on very much longer, as the intensity was so overwhelming! I support independent filmmakers taking a risk. I'm all for vision. I want to and expect to see passion coming from the team behind the scenes. The fact this took nearly an entire year to edit, tells me dedication and hard work went into making this what it is - a highly controversial film for our time. In an article I read, where Metropolitana was being interviewed, he mentioned the toll this film took on his mental health. He had three mental breakdowns, and the last one being the most severe. I know a lot about mental health, through my own experiences. I can sense the pain throughout this film that he must have been feeling. I can see he put his heart and soul into this. In reality, the world is no worse off for having films like this in the horror sphere. Although this is the work of fiction, this is actually true horror at its most diabolical, and there are people all over the world who actually live like this on the daily. I highly recommend this to true gore horror fans, and for any filmmaker out there who wants to see something brilliant unfold, something to inspire towards perhaps? As I mentioned above, in the trigger warnings, use your brain, if you think you can handle, good one, if not, look the other way. Ladies out there, this is an acquired taste, so if you are prone to being triggered, PLEASE watch the trailer first, before you decide to deep dive into the abyss. You might walk away from this feeling slightly ill and dirty, or, like I did, come away from it with a sense of hope! Hoping that we have finally found an independent filmmaker to turn the tide when it comes to the horror genre. Will it take someone of this caliber to save the horror genre from dying off completely? Or becoming more CGI and greenscreen, with terrible writers and lazy filmmakers? The story behind this film being made, is that it was rejected by several producers, until SRS Cinema picked it up and ran with it. It was filmed on a shoestring budget of £6,000, or so the story goes. It took two years to film this.

The intriguing independent horror art film Darrius by Gaurilla Metrolpolitania a London based Italian producer/director, is a uniquely dark arthouse film that frames the twists and turns of the human psyche when dealing with tragedy. It confronts uncomfortable concepts that for some reason you cannot stop watching and will rewatch just to put together the puzzle that you alone as the viewer can The approach and execution of its story is unlike anything done before in cinema. The use of sound and paceing are as much characters as the images that you can never unsee. It is dark art in film, it is an experience.

Dariuss is completely unique, it's like no other film I've seen. It definitely isn't a 'popcorn horror' I would consider this Arthouse horror. This film tells a story about bereavement & the affects it has on a family.

The cinematography is absolutely stunning. There is no dialogue & very few props, the sounds & visuals tell the story. This film is a psychedelic trip & it blows your mind. The storytelling was played out perfectly & at times I felt like I was entering the mind of a mad man.

This film crosses boundaries & wasn't made to be a typical mainstream horror. Some of the scenes were pretty brutal & were shot in a way that you almost felt like you were in the room watching. This is dark twisted, erotic, mind blowing film but beautiful at the same time.