The Blazing World

The Blazing World (2021) is a visual powerhouse of dark horrific fantasy that delivers a mediocre message on trauma and mental illness. That's not the say I don't hate the film; however, I find myself entertained.

The story made things clear, unlike the short, about where this might be going. The first half is great and the second half makes you fall off a cliff. The cinematography is still present but I think it's a bit weaker than the short was. Nothing was pushing the boundaries. The acting had some potential and I think there was just one over the top moment that had me questioning it. The score is lovely and I love love love the lighting in this film.

This is a film that has already divided audiences during the screening. Most of them virtually left the screening. I wanted to stay and see what was going to happen. It turns out I was just satisfied with half of the film, but a majority of its technical aspects really hooked me.

Not sure what this film thought it was trying to portray. I sure as hell didn't get any sense of what this film was about. That isn't always a bad thing it's just this film annoyed because of it as felt for a first time directing that Carlson has some real directing talent. I'm sure some sort of message was meant to be portrayed, I just found the end feeling I was left with was frustrating. It was pleasing to the eye and some scenes were quite well done, the music was good too. I've no doubt that Carlson will be making some very good films in the future.

THE BLAZING WORLD is the journey of one woman to reclaim her past and face her devastating depression from a childhood trauma, all presented as a dark fairy tale. Think Nicolas Winding Refn directing a script from David Lynch inspired by Lewis Carroll. First time filmmaker Carlson Young uses dazzling, darkly neon, and twisted visuals to tell this story, and her striking vision puts her great talent on full display. Dermot Mulroney impresses and Udo Kier is damn creepy. Crushing and gorgeous to watch with an utterly haunting score, the film is a mesmerizing, emotional experience you won't soon forget. Bravo Carlson Young!

The story is weird, and doesn't make much sense. The first half is too long, and the second half is too short. However, the ending doesn't make sense, and is very confusing. Overall, the film is slow, fragmented and confusing.

The Blazing World is a very ambitious film based on a very old, ambitious piece of literature. It's not quite sci-fi. It's not quite supernatural. It's not quite dreamlike. It somehow fits in between all of these. And that part servrs the film well. It's deeply uncomfortable and atmospheric. You can see the influences of other works on this film. It really seems like 70s horror.

What doesn't work about the film is it's slow and meanders a bit much. Not everything works. Some creepy stuff comes off silly. And without a sense of the rules of this universe, it can make the stakes in some scenes feel nebulous. The acting is also mostly good but sometimes it's a bit hit and miss.

Overall, I liked it but it's kind of a movie you have to to into it knowing it's a flawed experience. Don't expect perfection. Just expect something strange, atmospheric, with some really great moments that sometimes falls short. I'll take failed ambition over just another cookie cutter movie.