By Kaj van Zoelen, Schokkend Nieuws, Jan 29 2024
BLACKOUT by Larry Fessenden is a sometimes exciting, but above all tragic variation on the werewolf film, focusing on the traumatic experience of the man behind the werewolf and his dramatic impact on the community around him.
That in itself is nothing new under the full moon. Fessenden, who directs, writes, edits and produces, clearly draws inspiration from the old Universal films. Lon Chaney Jr. is even mentioned. But Fessenden gives it a modern twist. The comparisons critics make with mumblecore and/or John Sayles’ work about small-town America are understandable.
BLACKOUT immediately starts as one would expect from a low-budget horror film: with sex, followed by bloody violence. But then the nuance is mainly sought out. Artist Charley experiences strange things around every full moon that he cannot remember, but scary things do appear in his paintings. He worries about being a werewolf who commits gruesome murders every month. He returns to his hometown to put a number of things right, but then it is already a full moon.
BLACKOUT largely consists of a series of conversations between Charley and a number of people in the village. From friends to enemies, exes to priests and lawyers. In this village, the shadow of his respected, deceased father hangs over him, possibly a nod to the fact that he is played by Alex Hurt, the charismatic but unknown son of William Hurt.
Through these conversations, and others where the likely werewolf is not present, a portrait is created of a small village where relations are on edge. A community in which racism quickly lurks as soon as people become afraid. Sometimes that is much more dangerous or even deadly than a werewolf.
Among the often somewhat prosaically filmed talking scenes, there are also a few beautifully stylized scenes, sometimes even animated like an oil painting. In the scenes in which the werewolf strikes, Fessenden is nice and bloody, which gets an extra dimension because they are regularly filmed from the perspective of the beast. In addition to the necessary dose of tension, they also sharply portray the sense of guilt that plagues Charley. Because BLACKOUT is at times an effective horror film, but above all a tragedy.
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