Redux Redux

Remember that feeling when you saw the first Terminator movie? Or the stand-off between Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill? That maybe indicates just how far my jaw dropped watching Redux Redux at a festival screening.

Irene (Michaela McManus) and Mia (Stella Marcus) are such feisty characters they'd blow their own feet off rather than work as a team. Irene is a hardened fighter, killing on a regular basis to avenge a brutal kidnap, sickening torture and grisly murder of her daughter. Mia (also Irene's daughter's age) is on a risk-everything, nothing-to-lose learning curve that catapults her into combat or compact with the older woman.

The solidly used plot device that thrusts them together is the multiverse - parallel versions of reality with occasional differences - plus a heavy-metal, grungy-chic lump of hardware in Irene's pick-up truck to jump between parallels.

Revenge that will stop at nothing is complicated by the gruesome resourcefulness of psycho-kidnapper Neville and the pervy designs of some hardware maintenance techs. At what point can merciless revenge and self-preservation cave in to some sense of humanity?

The multiverse idea works as metaphor (as with all the best sci-fi). We all make life-decisions at points in the present, often based on how we 'perceive' reality. My takeaway from Redux Redux is this: Have you found a 'version' of 'reality' that works for you? If you have, stick with it. It might not come back. (And see Redux Redux in festivals or cinemas while you can!)

Redux Redux: Irene Kelly travels through various parallel universes to kill her daughter's murderer, Neville(Jeremy Holm) repeatedly. She's done it hundreds of times, She meets some of the "same" people, occasionally has a relationship with one of them. But she is addicted to tracking down the serial killer, she constantly discovers his trophy box. She hopes to find a universe where her daughter is alive or at least force him to tell her where her daughter's body is. In one universe she finds a living victim of the serial killer Mia (Stella Marcus) and releases her. This leads to complications, Stella wants to kill this version of Neville. It's a pretty savage film, she burns Neville alive, shoots him, engages in hand to hand combat, is even taken by surprise and kills him in public. All of this takes a toll on her physically and mentally, so there is a strong element of psychological horror in the film. A never ending chase turns her effectively into a serial killer. This issue is explored and is given a curve ball when Mia wants to continue with the pursuit even when Irene's desire is to end the hunt. The machine for traversing the Multiverse is nearty explained as is Irene's origin universe. We meet other travelers, not necessarily nice ones. An effective Science Fiction/Serial Killer tale with good acting script and direction. Written and Directed by Kevin and Matthew McManus. 8/10.

I also saw the film at a festival screening. That was a few weeks ago now, and to be honest, it was the 'I'll just pop in' film, because I wanted to see another film and this one sounded the most okay. It wasn't a film I would have actively sought out.

And now, many weeks later and several films later, I have to say: for me, three quarters of the way through the year, this is my film of the year so far. The other two reviews here have already described it: this film has its foot on the accelerator, not with stupid action, but because the story and the situation require it. The film has great characters and it blows you away.

There were three of us at the cinema: two who don't like violence in films, me, who doesn't like action films, and we were tired too. And afterwards, no one moved. The credits rolled, and we were shocked at how good what we had just seen was. I highly recommend this gem of indie cinema - and by indie, I don't mean bad. You never see or feel any limitations anywhere. Go see it - it deserves a bigger stage.