•• Foreign Film Edition ••
EVOLUTION
[2015, France, Spain, Belgium - French]
If her award-winning directorial debut piece INNOCENCE delves into the realm of prepubescent girls ambiguously groomed for adult roles, LUCILE HADŽIHALILOVIC's long-awaited follow-up will turn even more heads as she boldly steps into a surreal fantasy which exploits the concept of EVOLUTION (as with its title) from a truly bizarre and unsettling perspective. EVOLUTION seemingly alludes to complement INNOCENCE as a somewhat curious counterpart, where both elicit fragility and violation of puberty in a similarly elusive manner.
The film introduces us to an uncanny world inhabited by only young boys and their mothers. It opens with a striking underwater scene, where we see ten year-old Nicolas (MAX BREBANT) peacefully enjoying the sunny weather and his swimming, when he stumbles upon the corpse of another boy on the ocean floor. This implicitly sets the tone for this film, where beyond the temperate lives nesting in a world that is constantly bathed in sunlight at the rocky coasts, lies something dark and sinister that awaits. Nicolas’ mum (JULIE-MARIE PARMENTIER), along with the rest of the Stepford-like mothers, would go about their daily routines taking care of the boys, which include curious regiments like feeding them unknown drugs and slimy meals. Under strict surveillance, the boys on the cusp of puberty grow up totally oblivious and deprived of answers to any parts of their amorphous future. Each of them is soon sent to a questionable hospital where they are subjected to strange medical and surgical procedures. The discovery of the boy’s body in the ocean ignites Nicolas’ suspicion as he embarks on a relentless quest in search of the truth.
Filmed in exquisite mastery by cinematographer MANU DACOSSE in Lanzarote and Barcelona, Spain, EVOLUTION is an arthouse of captivating visuals and include some of the most ravishing underwater sequences. Suffice to point out that French horror often boasts in its dour and restrained appeal, it’s proven as not everyone’s cup of tea, and this film is no different in that sense. It achieves in heightening suspense amidst its impassive and thematic charm, and that’s usually not an easy feat. Definitely recommended for heavy arthouse fans.
Rating: B+
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