Editors’ Picks: Capturing Vulnerability in Film
Immersive in its multisensory synthesis of music, visual components, and movement, film is uniquely poised to provoke reflections upon who we are and who we will become. This month, members of the Review’s Editorial Board contemplate how these qualities are evoked throughout various films and TV series, and how we are invited to engage with moments of vulnerability that may otherwise elude us.
Raw (Julia Ducournau, 2016)
In all my years of movie-watching, I never thought I’d say that I relate to the main character of a horror film about a cannibal. Yet here I am, publicly announcing that I do. Julia Ducournau’s Raw (2016) is nothing short of horrific—not only because of its flesh-eating protagonist, but mostly because of its ability to force the viewer to see bits of themself in its narrative. The French drama follows university student Justine (Garance Marillier) as she navigates freshman hazing, familial relationships, newfound sexuality, and lifelong vegetarianism.
In many ways, Raw is more of a coming-of-age film than it is a horror film. The fact that Justine is a college student adds an extra level of relatability—and, arguably, horror—to the story. Compositionally, the stark visual juxtaposition between cramped college party scenes and expansive natural imagery spurs arguments about the tendencies of young adults as well as the changes that come with growing up. Raw is not for the faint of heart, but at its core, it is a stunning analysis of teenage maturation.
— Ellie Tsapatsaris, Movies & TV Editor
Kingdom (2019)
If you enjoyed the gratuitous violence and underlying social commentaries of Squid Games, then Kingdom is the perfect show for you to binge watch during winter break. An epic story about political corruption in medieval Korea, and how one family’s greedy scramble for power leads to a zombie outbreak that quite literally eats the country alive. Yes, I’m talking about zombies, politics, historical fiction and lots of cool hats—what else are you waiting for?
— Angie Kwon, Books Editor
Tenet (2020)
Until I had seen Tenet, I had been told that it was Christopher Nolan’s worst film. None of the characters had any emotions or development, like none of them had anything deeply personal at stake. Making sense of the plot was as fickle as finding the long end of the blanket at three in the morning on a cold night. And the audio was so jarring that it was as if Nolan didn’t even want his audience to understand the dialogue. However, it’s probably the case that this was the point. None of that matters—only the idea. The characters and plot were merely devices to explore one thought: what if time flowed backwards and forwards at the same time?
I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to make this movie. Despite all the criticisms lodged against it, Tenet kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. And it probably will again and again as I rewatch it to wrap my head around the central idea. Nolan tried something new and he did it well. It just wasn’t what some people wanted, and he can probably live with that. It taught me a lesson: as an artist, if you’re not always trying to one up your previous work, you might as well stop.
— Barkat Sikder, Contributing Editor
Fleabag (2016-19)
Written by the whip-smart and hilariously subversive Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag follows the trials and tribulations of a young unnamed woman living in London. The two-season, limited-series show traverses everything from the suicide of her best friend and partner-in-business to her sexual fantasies about a celibate priest, toeing the edge of the taboo without ever breaking from its quintissentially sitcom-esque structure. Frequent breaks in the fourth wall recalls a hyper-modernized take on The Office.
— Alex Carpenter, Contributing Editor
Sharp Objects (2018)
Sharp Objects (2018) from HBO is a must-binge for break. I’m biased as an Arkansan toward shows about troubled southern small towns, but if you’re a fan of murder mysteries, Amy Adams wearing black, and complicated family dynamics, this one’s perfect for you.
— Olivia Marotte, Contributing Editor