Review of Labor Day (2013) by Dawdlingpoet — 25 Nov 2021

This is a very symbolic film - it reminded me of the Terrence Malick films I've seen (The Tree of Life and Knight of Cups). I say that as there's surprisingly little dialogue at times (an off screen narrator reads the thoughts of characters at times) and a perhaps slightly heavy presence of music, mostly classical/orchestral. Plot wise, its about tension and fear - I like the slow tension that develops. Towards the end of the film, it feels rather claustrophobic and I felt it reminded me a bit perhaps of M Night Shymalan's films. I should maybe point out that this isn't your typical thriller/horror type watch - if you've seen Terrence Malick or Shymalans films then you'll have an idea of whats in store. Its a bit of a mix of the two - there's more dialogue present from about half way through the film but even so, it still felt, to me, to be about what wasn't being said, rather than what was.

Its quite a thoughtful film, in that I found myself wondering what truths may be discovered about the mysterious man the film is about. Its quite good at presenting a tense atmosphere, as I say - there is an element of suspense about, although if you prefer fast paced films then this will likely be too slow and subtle for your taste, I'd have thought. Its very much a character based drama which keeps you guessing. I did get a bit muddled with some plot aspects but as I say overall I felt it was a pretty well made film and I enjoyed it.

Overall, I'd say its worth a watch though, definitely.