Review of Spring (2014) by David F — 15 Feb 2016

For those looking for another Lovecraftian style film I finally got around to watching Spring a slightly interesting tale written and directed by Justin Benson. Overall this film is a slow paced burner that really isn't horrific but more odd with a little weirdness and suspense tossed in for an overall atmosphere that captures the oddity of Lovecraft's work, but not the over reaching horror plot that leaves you unsettled for days.

It stars Lou Taylor Pucci as Evan who after a set of unfortunate things happening in the US flees to Italy and meets Nadia Hilker as Louise, a dark mysterious and very sexy stranger who he tries to pursue while she pushes him away. Part of this story is your typical love story abroad as Evan takes a job at a farm for a room and keeps running into Louise in the city and continues his pursuit. But there is a dark edge to this and cuts to imagery that hints there is a darker turn here, spiders eating flies, maggots on the ground, the death theme is saturated throughout the film.

The pacing is a little slow, even for a slow burner. There are tons of moments where you know they are hinting towards something, but the first "reveal" comes out of nowhere and is a little over the top and jarring. I actually rewound the DVD because I thought I had missed something but did not. After that the subtlety returns and the film builds very nicely to the conclusion. The effects are also slightly strange at the first reveal, but then like the pacing settles back into the story and flows right along with the plot.

The story was well handled, the acting was fine for the film even though the characters were not as fully flushed out as I would have liked, It would have been nice to get more depth, not just continuations of the same conversation or conversations about plot points. At times it felt more like telling and not showing, at other times the film worked beautifully and the "creature" aspect of it and lore I found very refreshing though a bit obvious on how it would end. Where the film shines is the cinematography, the camera work, the music and the overall framing of the world between normal and "otherly".

All and all, a very decent creepy little film that is enjoyable, slightly disturbing and atmospheric and one that shows promise for a director and another entry into that other-world strangeness that is now in the bucket of Lovecraftian.