by Anthony King
At one point in Larry Fessenden’s Habit, our protagonist Sam (Fessenden) is walking home with Anna (Meredith Snaider). He admits he has somewhat of a drinking problem. “I’m committing suicide on the installment plan,” he quips. To most, this is nothing but self-deprecating humor. To an alcoholic, though – like Sam, like me – we’re simply masking the truth. On top of being an excellent independent horror film, Habit is one of the finest examples of allegorically depicting addiction on screen
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On their way home from a weekend of food and plenty of drink, Sam and Nick pass a casket company truck followed by a hearse. We know where this is headed. Unless you make the choice to get out and get help, the harmless habit that surreptitiously turned into an addiction will kill you. Unfortunately, real-life death from addiction isn’t nearly as romantic as the demise of the star-crossed lovers in Habit. Larry Fessenden is a master of allegory, and Habit is singular in its romanticization and swift deglamorization of alcoholism.
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