SWALLOW (2019)

Genre: Drama
Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Cast: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche, Denis O'Hare
Runtime: 1hr 35 mins
Rating: M18 (Sexual Scene)
Released By: KinoLounge by Shaw Theatres
Official Website: https://kinolounge.shaw.sg/film/swallow/

Opening Day: 3 July 2020

Synopsis: A provocative and squirm-inducing psychological thriller, SWALLOW follows one woman’s unraveling as she struggles to reclaim independence in the face of an oppressive system by whatever means possible.
 

Movie Review:

This is a difficult film to watch. Sure, we have seen movies about women who are emotionally stifled and try their best to lead a normal life. But this one takes it further and has its female lead developing an impulse to consume inedible objects. Imagine swallowing a marble. Or a thumbtack. Or metal figurines lying around the house. You wonder why the oppressed woman does it, until this film explains that it is a psychological disorder.

Giving Jennifer Lawrence a run for her money, Haley Bennett (The Girl on the Train) takes on this role of Hunter, a woman who marries into a rich family. She was once an artist with dreams, and those dreams have become material ones where her rich husband (Austin Stowell) is willing to provide anything she wants. Some of us yearn to live such a lifestyle. Who doesn’t want to be the life partner of someone who is going to become the CEO of a Manhattan corporation?

As you’d expect, this fairy tale doesn’t last and the film reveals that Hunter has pica, a psychological disorder that propels individuals to eat inedible objects. To complicate matters, Hunter is pregnant and we know this wouldn’t (pardon the pun) go down well. The anguish doesn’t end here – the story goes on to tell you about Hunter’s haunted past which involves a man who raped her mother.

The 95 minute film is an impressive directorial debut from Carlo Mirabella Davis. It is also notable that he penned the disturbing but poignant story It makes you think about the possible perversity beneath the seemingly picturesque lives we lead. When Hunter tells her therapist that she enjoys the texture of the inedible objects in her mouth, it is truly spine chilling.

Bennett delivers a remarkable performance which will captivate your senses from beginning to end. You know there is something wrong behind her polite smiles and pretty wardrobe. There is something waiting to explode in the nice apartment she lives in. Yet, she tries her best leading a ‘normal’ life, and being the perfect wife to a man she isn’t sure whether she loves.

This is a very stylised film which relies heavily on visuals to accentuate the emotions of the protagonist. Hunter is often framed alone in large and empty spaces. The cold and stark colours of the film reflect the character’s sentiments, and you wish someone would give her some warmth. Kudos to cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi for creating a look that is arresting and desolate. Coupled with Nathan Halpern’s, it is unlikely that you will lose interest during the 94 minute duration of the film. 

But you also know there won’t be a happy ending for Hunter as she tries to find closure in her life. The last sequence would leave you thinking: after you’ve made a difficult decision, will the world stop and see things from your perspective? Likely not.

The human soul can be very fragile, and each individual has different ways of holding up. It can be distressing to know what some of us do when no one’s looking, and this film boldly takes a peek and leaves you to unfold the deeper layers after the credits roll. 

Movie Rating:

(An impressive directorial debut by Carlo Mirabella Davis, although it takes guts to stomach Haley Bennett’s bold performance)

Review by John Li