Review of The Falling (2015) by Matthew S — 08 Aug 2015

Carol Morley's narrative film directorial debut is stunning more for what it attempts to do and less for what it actually manages to achieve. This might seem a criticism, but it really isn't. This is a masterfully shot film reminiscent of Peter Weir mixed with Nicolas Roeg, but it stands alone.

Set in a British all-girls academy at the tail end of the 1960's, Morley explores the truly horrific experiences of young women slipping into the mysteries of adulthood, sexuality and consequences. The film's marketing campaign has aimed at the high-end "artsy" horror audience, and this makes sense. However it does set the film up to deliver something it never plans to deliver.

After a tragedy befalls a beautiful young woman, the other students begin to suffer shared and disturbing physiological symptoms. As the inflictions increase and spread to one of the younger teachers, the stodgy seemingly stuck-in-time head mistress and her fellow senior professor must attempt to face it all.

What is it that these young women and teachers are facing? There are more than a few things that seem odd about the initial tragedy which is never explained. And as mourning and grieving begin the film takes on an intriguing atmosphere that seems to mix mysticism, paganism, sexuality, lust, forbidden compulsions and a series of quick edits that are almost so brief it reminds one of The Exorcist.

Morley has filled the film with a great cast. This is a cast that can not only act, but every actor possesses film presence. The two most important factors of "That Falling" are Morley's slow-burn pacing and the stunningly beautiful cinematography by the great Agnès Godard.

In the end, one could draw a number of conclusions. None of which could ever be soundly tied to the movie. A psycho-sexual film that seduces as much as it haunts. I was glued to the screen.