Pandemonium
For a while now, I've struggled to keep up with proper genre cinema. I can't trust ratings as they are universally low, and I can't find any trustworthy sites that highlight the hidden gems. I found Quarxx's Pandemonium when looking through Fantasia (the film festival) entries, and for now this appears to be my best bet. While Pandemonium is not a film for everybody, it's an extremely capable genre flick made by a director who understands and respects the genres he's handling. It's a film made for film fans like me, the kind that seems to fly under the radar all too easily nowadays.
I wasn't familiar with Quarxx before watching this film, but a director using a nickname or moniker is rarely a bad sign in my book. Yes, they can be a little self-absorbed, but it usually means they like to control their identity, which then tends to translate to their directorial signature. In short: they love to make things that are instantly recognisable as their own, which is pretty much what I'm looking for. This is only Quarxx's second feature film (next to a bunch of genre-based shorts), but I'm already eager to dig up his first and see what he'll come up with in the future.
The film is a mix of a classic narrative and an anthology film. There's one wrap-around segment and two embedded shorts, all stylistically consistent. That's not enough to call it a true anthology, but the stories, while woven together, could stand well on their own. It's not a very common structure and it presents a few challenges (not in the least because the embedded stories are quite long), but as the quality, style and genres stay consistent, I think it's fair game. It's a little reminiscent of Dupieux's Smoking Causes Coughing, and he certainly got away with it.
Nathan dies in a car accident high up the mountain. He crashes into a motorcyclist, both men die on the spot. They return as ghosts next to their bodies, uncertain what will happen next. Sadly, they both have grave sins to their name, which condemns them to hell. Nathan is reluctant to go, but he doesn't have a choice. When he steps through the gates he arrives at a barren plain, where he finds several bodies on the floor. Each body has a tragedy connected to it, when Nathan touches them, he can experience their pain and suffering. But nothing can prepare him for his dire fate.
Even though there are three separate shorts and they all have their distinct visual signature, there's still a visual consistency binding them together. The way the camera moves slowly and deliberately, the way lighting plays an important role, and the way the editing is used for little visual surprises are common elements throughout the film. It's mostly the different settings (a mountain, an old mansion/castle and a contemporary home) that give off very different atmospheres and help set the three narratives apart. All in all, it looks extremely polished.
The score might be even more impressive, especially the music used during the wrap-around segment. The music itself might be a little simple and predictable, the kind you often find in thrillers and horror films, but the way it is applied to build up the tension is a masterclass in sound design. It's such an "easy" way to elevate a genre film that thrives on tension, yet many films fail to bank on its potential. The score ends up playing a crucial part in Pandemonium's overall success and other budget-starved genre films should find some inspiration here.
The performances are surprisingly strong. Smaller genre films like this tend to suffer a little when it comes down to securing an adequate cast, but that's not an issue here. Even the second story, featuring a child actor in the lead (notoriously tricky), never felt like it had to compromise on acting quality. Big kudos to Hugo Dillon and Arben Bajraktaraj for injecting a little streak of dark comedy into the first part (without sacrificing the tension), the rest of the cast is pretty much on the same level. Not quite essential, but still very cool to see the cast is on point here.
Pandemonium's biggest challenge is no doubt keeping its audience on board during the transitions between the three stories. The film doesn't necessarily advertise its anthology structure up front and the first thirty minutes are very intriguing, so abandoning that first story mid-film comes as a bit of a shock. But the other two shorts are very cool too and the fact that the film returns to conclude its opening segment is a big plus. I'm sure many will struggle with this setup, generally speaking, anthologies aren't the most popular types of film, but I appreciated the chances Quarxx took.
Pandemonium is the kind of genre film I treasure. A film that is stylistically exciting and sports a familiar mix of genre elements while adding a particular flavor that makes it easily distinguishable from similar work. Quarxx is a talented director and I can't wait to check out his other films. Pandemonium should be easy enough to find for those interested in watching something a little off the beaten path, especially if you have an unquenchable taste for horror. It still requires a bit of targeted digging, which is a shame for a film with such clear and obvious qualities, but I'm sure this one will find its audience eventually.