(spoiler free)
The future can look bleak at the best of times, so it’s no surprise that movies are harvesting dystopian, ‘Black Mirror’ aesthetics more and more to fit in with our growing dependence on technology and advancing science. ‘Elizabeth Harvest’ is a film that could have been cream of that crop but it feels more like dry chaff by the end.
Elizabeth (Abbey Lee) is newly married to the wealthy Henry (Ciarán Hinds) who is extremely proud to show off his home to her. The next day he heads off for work related reasons and tells her she can explore the whole house and make use of everything apart from one door in the basement, which she’s not allowed to enter. As her curiosity gets the better of her, Elizabeth may learn more about herself then she bargained for.
This is a film that comes from Sebastian Gutierrez; the mind behind ‘Gothika’ and ‘Snakes on a Plane’ so take from that what you will! It’s clear that the writer/director has an understanding of constructing a fairly unsettling sci-fi world but it’s a story which is reminiscent of a veering ride; with plateaus of great lengths and just a few soaring elevations to try and hook you into the plot.
Elizabeth literally finds herself through the narrative but I feel that if the whole ‘Groundhog Day’ element of her shocking discovery was played upon two or three times more, then the film could have devoured some tasty details which change on each go around but the introduction and following explanations have no bite and it feels more like a film trying to be smart with housebound dramatics in the same vein as ‘Ex Machina’ but getting nowhere near the interest and sleek intrigue of that Alex Garland delight.
Abbey Lee and Carla Gugino who plays the maid of the home, provide great performances, with the former installing a believably robotic and questioning edge to Elizabeth. Another positive to highlight is the bursts of neon colour and visual flair that match the rare peaks in the storytelling. It’s almost like Gutierrez knows the film is going much too slowly so he tries saving it with a couple of interesting twists. Sadly, these are not enough to redeem a film which suffers from a plodding pace and an unrealised potential.
‘Elizabeth Harvest’ is a sci-fi affair that would do well to remain in cryosleep.
Written by Troy Balmayer
Rating – 4/10
Question: What is your favourite Abbey Lee film?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
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Thanks to Strike Media for screening access.
‘Elizabeth Harvest’ will be available to watch on digital download from 1st April
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