No More Time

I just saw this environmental thriller at NewFilmmakers Los Angeles and was blown away. It takes the premise of a deadly pandemic and breathes potent atmosphere and character dimension into the unfolding narrative, hinting at ancient consciousness in the land where the wonderful ensemble play out uneasy survival. Visually stunning, the film uses the hypnotic colors of the natural world to amplify the palpable sense of danger in the beyond-human world. Wonderfully naturalistic performances ground sequences that tip into psychedelia. In particular, Mark Reeb delivers a disciplined, thundering performance as a man out of his depths. Jennifer Harlow brings nuanced sensitivity to his wife as she attunes to frequencies beyond the human community. Director Dalila Droege should be commended on her singular vision and the palpable synergy of the collaboration she lead.

I had the good fortune to see No More Time at Salem Horror Fest in late April 2023. No more Time is beautifully shot and showcases fantastic acting throughout. All in all a thoroughly enjoyable film start to finish. The through line of the film is the biting satire that centers hate as a symptom of their fictional pandemic. The film acts as a unique way for all of us who lived through the real life horrors of the pandemic to view some aspects through a more surreal and cinematic lense. I won't say too much but I had a particularly hearty chuckle at how nature is "healing" itself at the end of the film.

A social and environmental statement in a humanitarian manner. The deep beautiful cinematography rings the global pandemic story bell loud and clear. The film reminds me I am a traveler passing through times of earth's mysterious wonder. The forest is our final frontier. We are conforted by nature in our most frightening life experiences. We take all of it it without regard to the sacred. There is rawness in the characters portrayed. Simple survival in an infected world. The evident struggle between ideals and extinction came across in the couples relationship with each other and their encounters. I saw the circles of human and animal violence. I thought about the peace in wilderness.

I watched this at Dundead Horror Film Festival in May 23.

Beautifully filmed with a great soundtrack this allegorical tale of a pandemic takes the divisions that raised their ugly heads during Covid and turns them into a symptom of this fictional virus. Nature is the balancing factor and its ability to thrive from the demise of humanity shows that maybe it is humanity that is the virus.

A contemplative watch, with minimal scares, the chills and horror come more from what humans are capable of.

Dalila Droege directs a fine cast and joins a growing army of female directors who are bringing something new to the horror genre.