Attachment

I have to admit that "Attachment" was a much better film than I expected, although ultimately it wasn't as exceptional as I was hoping it'd turn out to be. At 1hr and 45 minutes, 20 minutes less would have been a vast improvement.

The movie starts in the Netherlands, where Maja and British student Leah meet in a library. Sparks fly and before you can say, "Lesbian U-Haul Joke," the two move back to Leah's London home with her mother, who seems a little crazy and overly overprotective. Enter Jewish folklore, body transformation and peanut allergies and an eventual satisfying ending.

It's quite well acted with excellent production values, and really, time management and editing is my only real complaint. That and the actress who plays Maja' sinus issues. But I started getting antsy halfway through the third act, wondering when they were going to start wrapping things up. Then once we got to the climax, it just seemed to go on far too long. It's really too bad, because it had the makings of something special, with a couple you were rooting for to make it. Instead it just became dull.

I would love to see a better edited version of this film. But for now the best I can do is a 6.

This film was an incredibly enjoyable and engaging watch, and really fun to see in the cinema. A beautiful example of claustrophobic family horror, it manages to balance tension and emotional stakes while still being funny and charming. Every member of the small cast gives a really phenomenal performance.

This was a quarantine film that was shot quickly, and it shows a little in some clumsy exposition but that is easily my only criticism. All told, it is incredibly sharp, original and multifaceted, with a stunning cast and strong direction, a wonderful, complex queer storyline and a very fresh take on some old tropes. Absolutely delightful.

A Danish/English horror movie that delves into several fears: an overbearing partner's parent, a potential dark history of the partner, and evil spirits known as dybbuks. Although the writer and director, Gabriel Bier Gisalson, brings emotional depth to the story in his directorial debut, the film doesn't quite deliver and becomes drawn out by the end.

The relationship between Danish actress Maja (Josephine Park) and London academic Leah (Ellie Kendrick) starts out strong, with charming chemistry between the two women. However, things take a turn when Leah has a seizure and her pushy mother, Chana (Sofie Gråbøl), becomes involved in their relationship. Chana's strange behavior and interest in Jewish iconography creates a sense of unease that slowly builds as the story progresses.

The film attempts to set its horror within Jewish mythology and Ultra-Orthodox life, but this creates an exposition overload that distances the viewer. The strongest aspect of the film is its rumination on the universal worries of a relationship, particularly the fear of a partner changing who they are and leaving heartbreak. The acting, particularly by Sofie Gråbøl, adds to the disturbing dynamic of the story. Although "Attachment" has its moments, it becomes slow and too drawn out to be a fully successful horror movie.

A horror film relying on Jewish folklore, religious allegories, and codependency that falls into a disappointing resolution. Attachment shows the beginning of the relationship between Maja and Leah after meeting in a library. Quickly they'll develop feelings but without knowing much of each others life. This sparks the tension in the couple after Leah suffered a seizure forcing them both to travel to London to Leah's mother house and Maja realizes that a secret is hold in between the walls. From the moment Leah returns home her mother insists in doing everything for her even when she's capable of doing it on her own.

Maja and Leah's mother Chana relationship starts with the wrong foot and Maja's efforts only pushes them further. Once the plot twist appears everything starts to make sense and their relationship can finally develop. Sadly, towards the end the film becomes another generic possession horror movie. What starts as a strong, original, captivating horror film turns into a disappointment in the third act. The acting, score, cinematography, and story converge on a satisfying exploration of family dynamics and superstitions. Unfortunately, the ending takes away from the excellence that the film presented at the beginning.

This film is described as horror, and it could be called that, amongst other things.

What is happening here? Well, there's a possession, but this surely is no The Exorcist! It's a Danish film, and we really haven't got a great history in either horror or scary films. But is this really a horror film, I would say partly. It is as someone is trying to make it into more than that. But what? It's really hard to say, for me that is. I try to find what this is all about. The reason is, that Danish films very seldom just try to be, for instance, funny, entertaining or just plain scary (or anything really). There's gotta be more than what's seems obvious. So whay is it this time? Is it an attack at religion, homosexuality, jews or?

Perhaps it's just me searching for something that is not supposed to be there, perhaps it's just plain horror? If so, it's not really that scary. It has the very annoying ending that most horror film has, you really can't tell if the whole thing really have ended.

There's not anything to say against the actors, they do a very good job, especially Park and Kendrick.

Truth be told I'm really not a horror fan, so if you are, you probably have to see for yourself.