Proving that his productions are unpredictable and wildly different from one another, Dustin Mills' latest low budget shocker is a totally different kettle of fish to his previous movies.
Shot in beautiful monochrome, Applecart is Mills' homage to the silent movie. Think The Artist, but with gratuitous nudity, violence and a prosthetic penis that is startlingly realistic (thanks to Marcus Koch's outrageous talent). Divided into a quartet of short fables / modern morality tales, the film is experimental, daring and, at times, uncomfortable viewing. Not since Douglas Buck's A Trilogy of America have I felt so exposed to the dark underbelly of modern suburbia.
Whilst I prefer the more conventional storytelling contained within Mills' earlier offerings, Applecart is a solid film. It managed to make me flinch, jump and wince, not an easy feat.
Hats off to the team for their bravery. It's a reflection on Mills as a director that he manages time and time again to bring out outstanding and memorable performances from his cast. They trust him and the results are sheer brilliance. I'm gobsmacked at the candid nature of the Crumpleshack productions. Yet, despite the nudity and adult themes, Mills' always manages to retain a sense of morality. There's no glorification of violence (unless it's killer rabbits running amok) and sensitive topics are handled with the appropriate care.
8 out of 10. Not my favourite offering from Dustin Mills but the bar's set so high, my favourites will take some beating. If you're new to this director, I'd recommend Her Name Was Torment, Kill That Bitch, Easter Casket or Skinless to begin with. This is more of a palette cleaner between his more traditional genre movies and more art house than independent horror.
