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SYNOPSIS:  Cordelia, a young woman living in London, is a survivor dealing with her personal demons. She encounters her mysterious and alluring neighbor Frank for the first time but quickly becomes suspicious of his motives. With her twin sister away for the weekend, Cordelia is left alone and overcome with paranoia. She begins to unravel and sink back into past traumas the more that Frank tries to charm his way into her life, becoming a danger to herself and others.

REVIEW: Somewhere between a Hitchcock film and Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho,” resides Adrian Shergold and Antonia Campbell-Hughes’ CORDELIA. There are no ghosts, or a period south track, but there is a traumatic past haunting the main character. It is a deeply twisted tale where the predator becomes the prey as a series of actions has the lead character unraveling her slim grasp on reality as she spirals into madness and a shocking climax.

The collaboration on the screenplay between Shergold and Campbell-Hughes delivers a narrative with so many shades of gray. The story does not come up and present detail but provides hints for the viewer to put the puzzle of the mystery together. Cordelia is unaware of the predator lurking beneath her surface. As he escalates the situation’s tension and drama her façade begins to shatter and all that she has pent up emerges. At moments the story plays out like 1983’s “Psycho II,” where Norman Bates emerges rehabilitated and he is forced into madness. I appreciated how Cordelia’s trauma is never fully explained. It is alluded to as something deep and buried, and could also be a metaphor. It’s also interesting that she is an actress and the current production she is involved in. Another well written film that addresses a woman’s trauma and she evolves. Does Frank deserve what transpires? Clearly Frank has his own issues. He appears to be an obsessed classical musician, he plays the cello. There are aspects to Frank that feel like a Dario Argento villain but he is presented with warning signs. There are moments he pauses, but he still ventures past the point of no return. Frank is attracted to Cordelia's darker side and should have left sleeping dogs lie.

I loved the production values and found they added to the metaphor of the story. Cordelia and her sister live in a basement apartment. While it is not dark and dreary, there are shadows. There is a green tint to the apartment that suggests an illness. In contrast, Frank’s apartment is a dark, brooding lair to his music. There are many interesting angles and framing that capture a sense of Cordelia’s mental states. The editing slowly builds the tension and drama and delivers shocking moments that are shocking. The costumes are fine and especially add to Cordelia's character. I enjoyed Natalie Holt’s score. It would be easy to add in moments that are similar to a Bernard Herrmann score, yet Holt makes some interesting and engaging choices for the film’s final act.

Antonia Campbell-Hughes is fantastic as Cordelia, plus she plays the twin sister Caroline. It is such a remarkable performance that I did not realize it was her till the credits. As the main character she takes the audience on this stunning journey of this character who presents this traumatized, shy person who ultimately unleashes this trauma that presents this dark villainess in the throes of madness. Johnny Flynn is excellent as Frank. He presents this “nice guy” but you can’t help feeling something creepy just below the surface. As his darker side begins to emerge he becomes this deer caught in the headlights when he unleashes Cordelia’s “dark passenger.” I did feel a slight empathy for the character but ultimately he deserves what he unleashes.

CORDELIA is a terrifying character study co-authored and starring Antonia Campbell-Hughes. Working with director Adrian Shergold, the two present this character study that is both classic and contemporary. It is hypnotizing how they take this character from victim to predator that emerges in a final act where you question what is reality and what is the character's delusion. I loved what Campbell-Hughes and Adrian Shergold accomplish here and am excited to see what they do next.

CAST: Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Johnny Flynn, Catherine McCormack, Joel Fry, and Michael Gambon. CREW:  Director/Screenplay - Adrian Shergold; Screenplay - Antonia Campbell-Hughes; Producer - Kevin Proctor; Cinematographer - Tony Slater Ling; Score - Natalie Holt; Editors - Tania Reddin & John Walters; Production Designer - Tom Pearce; Costume Designer - John Krausa; Visual Effects Supervisor - Jindrich Cervenka OFFICIAL: cordeliafilm.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/cordeliafilm TWITTER: twitter.com/CordeliaFilm TRAILER: https://youtu.be/6o-3Lx8MRvU RELEASE DATE: In Theaters and On Demand May 20th, 2022

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)

SYNOPSIS:  Laura and her seven-year-old son Cody are fleeing from her abusive ex-husband when they come to settle into a remote lakeside farmhouse. They are trying to begin a new life in this idyllic town but something new is stalking them. Still dealing with trauma, their physical, mental well-being and fragile existence is threatened by a force that rises from the lake near their house.

REVIEW: MONSTROUS is another tale this year that presents physical trauma as a manifestation of a supernatural entity. Carol Chrest’s narrative is even more complex as part of the character's delusion is a period projection in addition to “the lady in the lake.”

The narrative begins with an introduction to Laura and Cody as they arrive at their new home. Laura does her best to hit the pain and trauma from Cody as the tale presents superficial clues as to their past. It is Cody’s visitation to the lake that seems to trigger the presence of the creature. As tension mounts and emotions flare, there are things about Laura that emerge to present her in a different light. Additionally, Cody seems to be falling under the spell of the lake creature. Laura starts to have these flashes that are glimpses of a darker, more troubled. Finally Laura is pushed to the limit Laura’s protection against the trauma cracks  and we learn the dark truth behind the mystery. The question becomes will Laura give into her madness or come to grips with the harsh reality and find peace. I thought it was interesting how the 50’s/60’s imagery played into the plot. There is an aspect to the narrative that is reminiscent of a line from the 1990’s film “Jacob’s Ladder,” in which Louis states, "If you're afraid of dying, and you're holdin' on, you'll see devils tearing' your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the world.”

The film has some excellent production designs, costumes and visual effects. It is nicely edited and creatively framed. The creature design was fine, and it served its purpose, however if felt it looked a bit more organic and less CGI it might have had more impact. Likewise the cinematography needs to have more of a fairy tale/nightmare feel. It’s nicely shot, the colors pop, but given the nature of the narrative it needs some allure to the visual feel.

The film rests on the performances of Christina Ricci and Santino Barnard. The rest of the cast does a fine job but their characters are simple types in service to the narrative. Christina Ricci gives a fine performance as she transverse the complex emotional landscape of Laura. There are moments where she projects the complexity of the nightmare she has wrapped herself in or, in contrast, she seems innocent, yet possesses the strength to face the trials and tribulations of her actions. Santino Barnard’s Cody begins as a frightened child, looking to his mother for hope. Slowly he evolves into this dynamic force that might be possessed by the force from the lake, and possibly acting out as a result of unseen truths.

MONSTROUS makes a strong, emotional statement about the forms trauma can take and the terrifying process of awakening into a harsh reality. The gene is employed as a metaphor. In a way Laura has created her own land of OZ, and the wicked creature in the lake is trying to take, destroy what she has. Laura is still loved and regardless of her actions, she still holds the power to go home anytime she wants. Thus a dark story with a somewhat less than happy ending. Again, the film probably would have benefitted from some texture to the cinematography. I was interested in seeing this film as I had met, briefly, filmmaker Chris Sivertson when he was adapting my friend Jack Ketchum’s novel “The Lost” for the screen. He’s come a long way as a filmmaker.  Also, if you have not had a chance to see Christina Ricci act as of late, MONSTROUS is an excellent opportunity to see her work her craft.

CAST: Christina Ricci, Colleen Camp, Santino Bernard, Don Balderamos, and Nick Vallelonga CREW: Director - Chris Sivertson; Screenplay - Carol Chrest; Producers - Johnny Remo, Sasha Yelaun & Robert Yocum; Cinematographer - Senda Bonnet; Score - Tim Rutili; Editor - Anjoum Agrama; Production Designer - Mars Feehery; Costume Designer - Morgan DeGroff; Special Effects Supervisor - Erik Albidress; Visual Effects Supervisor - Dorian Cleavenger. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/q5apEBtCPvk RELEASE DATE: In Theaters and On Demand May 13th, 2022

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay),  or 👎 (Dislike)