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Soup15
Reviews
Seeds (2018)
Disturbing, Absorbing, And Impactful
The film mixes narrative storytelling with surreal storytelling, and at times leaves it up to the viewer to decide what is real and what isn't. This is something that I thought was done extremely well. I was drawn-in by the dream-like quality of the flashbacks and fantasy, as we see a man struggling with his present demons, his improper longings, and a past that haunts him while he falls further and further into a pit. The movie focuses on the constant battle he fights against the "monster" inside him (which may have also come to exist outside him), and his struggle to not descend into madness. In a lot of ways it reminds me of Lynch's better work.
It stars Trevor Long, from Ozark, who gives a truly amazing and nuanced performance. His niece is played by Andrea Chen, who also does a great job. Together they play off each other remarkably well. I like slow paced films when done well, and the slow pacing here contributed a lot to the uneasiness I felt throughout this film. I also loved the fast cutting in the opening scene, which was almost impressionistic. The cinematography was superb, showing off the strikingly beautiful locale, including an interesting use of shadows and light. It made me wish I had had the opportunity to see it in a theater on a big screen.
On a scary note, they managed to turn household electrical wiring into something oddly terrifying and disturbing. And I never knew it was possible to make a broken short-wave radio so damned creepy, with tiny, unclear distant voices that cut in and out. Like a dream that leaves you shaken.
This film had a strong impact that stayed with me for days after.