Les démons

Watched this on mubi, a great movie. I wonder why this hasn't attracted more audience with just a few hundred votes and one review prior mine. The movie does have a child abuse sub plot, which may have scared distributors, but it's no reason to avoid this very well made drama with a some horror elements to it.

This coming of age story follows a 10 year old boy with a backstory about a child kidnapper/killer in the city. The boy is being confused and scared about a lot of stuff. Overhearing adult conversations, TV, older brother and his friends. Uncertainty of own sexual feelings, crush on a teacher etc..

What first struck me is how stylish this movie is. It's direction and cinematography are stunning. Poetic, slow, long takes. Strong use of music and sound (as a Finn I was pleasantly surprised by the use Jean Sibelius and Finlandia Op. 26, which opens the movie). Everything to the smallest detail seems to have been thought of, well framed shots, great color grading and interesting use of color through out the movie.

Quite dream like in it's slowness, one could argue whether the things we see on screen are actual events or the boys imagination. There's more evidence to support that the events are really taking place, but there is a bit of David Lynch factor involved, not much, but the movie is open for different interpretations. In a way the movie reminds me also of works by Philip Ridley (Reflecting Skin, Passion of Darkly Noon).

Altho not making a huge point of it, the movie seems to be set somewhere in the early 80s. The director must have some connection to Scandinavia, considering the use of Sibelius and I'm quite sure I saw the boy having an 80s iconic Swedish Fjällraven backpack, I had one just like it back then.

The movie is very strong on atmosphere, creating a warm sun scorched world, yet filled with threats. A strong contrast.

Recommended, it's a dream like poetic experience even if quite distressing and difficult to watch at times.

I'll give the film this.... it does a great job at the old saying "it's boring, but in 10 minutes it'll pickup". Seeing it's 120 minutes long, I said that to myself 11 times. Well in the end, it never did pickup.

The cinematography and direction were great. It didn't feel like a low budget film. The plot was creepy and uncomfortable. But in general there was a lot of filler. Slow long zooms in and out. Lots of empty conversations & excessively long scenes.

I watched it in the original voice acting. Of course, not everything was clear, but in general, the plot attracts and makes you think at least about why this happens.

If this movie is any indication of what's coming in the future, we may have a world-class filmmaker at work. This is sophisticated, artful filmmaking, with a completely unexpected soundtrack. It's not for people who want action or superheros but who appreciate when things are done differently, creatively and artfully.

An adult coming-of-age film from Quebec, The Demons is a stunning debut from documentarian Lesage.

The ironically-named Felix is growing up, by which we really mean that he realises that while his world's parameters are stable, the life teeming inside it is anything but.

Going from lacerating irony and tenderness to sheer horror and pathos, the film is subtly paced, with the documentarian's detached eye in delicate counterpoint to the emotional turbulence Felix experiences. Lesage's music is remarkable, almost Lynchian in its suggestiveness and occasional weirdness. Lesage knows how to take his time, the scenes unfolding slowly into often unbearable tension that never resolves into anything predictable.

Like The Dangerous Lives of Altarboys, Lesage's film knows that to go deep, you have to go big. And he does.