Effigy

Creepy imagery fills the screen, as a story within a story unfolds. Set in Japan, with Swedish characters, the plot is mesmerizing, disorienting, dark and fascinating. Something about translating a children's story, but that's just the starting point for an image-driven trip down the rabbit hole. This is an ambiguous character study open to interpretation. I enjoyed the strangeness of it all. It's unconventional and unique, choosing not to explain every action. This is a movie that does not follow a formula; it clearly has its own rhythm and style. The unsettling sound design adds to the mood, while the cool animation supports the sub-textual narrative. If you like independent thrillers, and are open to connecting the dots, check out EFFIGY.

This film lives on the power of its unnerving vibe. Not a jump scare movie. This is a patient horror train, taking you on a volatile journey towards true alienation. So I would say this one requires the right mood to fully appreciate. It is a meticulously crafted micro-budget film. It is without compromise: a Lynchian story, deep diving into a troubled translator's unravelling psyche in a surreal Tokyo as her cruelty turns outwards.. This film will challenge viewers to engage on its terms. There's layers to explore here and ambiguous elements to process. It's one of those films where your mind can fill in the shadow corners in a completely different way with subsequent viewing- this could be interpreted as either a strength or a weakness depending upon who you are- or how you feel. The pace of it is slow and hypnotic.. This allows it to inject its anxious energy in a subliminal way. Staying with it however, revealed a highly original and sadistic story. The ending hits with confident panache. A dark puzzle box of a film that is undoubtedly niche and delivers on the nightmares.

Effigy is a complex, layered film about a descent into madness involving a cursed object. I noticed echoes of early horror films (Renfield from Dracula was one I thought about) but with modern well-crafted visuals. Lighting, shadows, angles and effects are all strong points. My interest was drawn in with the elements of Japanese, English(American) and Swedish, but with a setting of modern Tokyo. I enjoyed my second viewing from noticing details of foreshadowing, and after thinking about the film for a week or so. I think it's a good accompaniment/lead-in to the Halloween season (viewed Sep-Oct 2024).

If you're in the mood for a dark movie that avoids all the usual horror tropes, a movie that gets under your skin and squirms, even a movie that makes you ask a lot of uncomfortable questions, then Effigy is just what you might be looking for.

First of all it's gorgeously shot which I really appreciate. As a long time Japan resident, I got extra chills with all the near deserted city shots.

Also, I felt the folktale that the protagonist makes up is the heart-thread that holds together the lives and stories of all the characters in the movie, making it a beautiful and beautifully disturbing flick.

This movie was very thought provoking! I love the exploration of good vs evil: positive and negative characteristics that live in all of us with different shades! Compelling storyline that makes you want to keep watching, Questions that play in your head long after the movie is over, and discussions with people about what it all meant, were what makes the movie memorable. Highly recommend it if you enjoy alternative narratives to regular Hollywood movies. The acting was excellent. The mysteriousness of the movie was enhanced by not being able to read the emotions of the characters which felt very much intentional.