Hi everyone!
It’s Friday, so that means another Fantastic Fest feature from Andrew Campbell. You’ll get another dose of him tomorrow for his review of 1917 (Episode #675), but today we’ll be looking at a film from very late 2018, which just recently got an independent run in US theaters before hitting VOD. He’s also been wrestling with another virus of some sort, so apologies in advance for his voice. I really appreciate him making the effort to kick off the new year! For a few other recent Fantastic Fest reviews from Andrew, check out THE POOL (Episode #656), LITTLE JOE (Episode #663), and SWEETHEART (Episode #670).
Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our good friends at the Moviedrone podcast. Every episode, Steve and Marc review a main feature, give each other homework, and work their way through a series of segments, including my favorite, Marc’s Movie Impressions. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @movie_drone, and on Facebook @moviedronepod. Be sure to like, follow, rate, and subscribe! They’ve been huge supporters for the podcast, and we look forward to working with them in the new year!
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Here we go!
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Hello film fans!
Andrew here. Excited to be back this week to help kick off year three of One Movie Punch, where I will continue holding down the fort each Friday bringing you the most interesting films from Austin’s Fantastic Fest. It’s been a fun last few weeks in the world of Film Twitter, seeing critics and friends of all backgrounds post not only their top 10 lists for 2019, but for the decade as well. With no conscious effort, I ended up with four Fantastic Fest films on both my best-of-year and best-of-decade lists. My 2019 favorites included PARASITE (Episode #628), JOJO RABBIT (Episode #631), KNIVES OUT (Episode #652), and a film called THE DEATH OF DICK LONG, which is flying far below the radar, and I can’t wait to present it on a future episode. My decade list includes RAW (Episode #517), IT FOLLOWS (Episode #608), ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE (Episode #425), and the aforementioned PARASITE. 15 years in, Fantastic Fest has film selection down to a science. I’m coming out of the gate with a weird one today, so let’s get to it.
Today’s movie is IN FABRIC, the off-beat 2018 horror film written and directed by Peter Strickland. IN FABRIC made its US Premiere at the 2018 Fantastic Fest, more than a year before A24 finally released it in theaters and on VOD back in December. Marianne Jean-Baptiste stars as Sheila Woodchapel, a divorcee residing in a small flat with her young adult son. Sheila works accounting for a couple of thankless bosses, while putting up with a son and his girlfriend who show her little respect. Sheila’s attempts to get back into the dating world result in blind dates with peculiar men that would be over in seconds were Sheila not so polite and perhaps growing a bit lonely. To impress one potential suitor, Sheila visits a haute couture department store where she’s drawn to a bold red dress that’s beyond her sensibilities and even further beyond her budget. Enthralled by the store’s clerk Miss Luckmoore, Sheila purchases the dress, leading to a series of bizarre and tragic events.
Right out of the gate, I’ll say this film is not for everyone. The trailer makes it look like a late-70s arthouse film that just went through the restoration process. In actuality, it’s a clear homage to the atmospheric slasher giallo films of that era, a horror subgenre that’s been getting a few new entries of late, notably the SUSPIRIA remake (Episode #418) and KNIFE + HEART (Episode #542). Critics tend to be mostly positive on these films, appreciating the dated color palette and unique, often unconventional narratives. General audiences seeking a more straightforward storyline with a fast-paced three-act structure may sour a bit on these films that often cross over into pretentiousness. In the case of IN FABRIC, the Rotten Tomatoes scores show more than 90% of critics gave it a favorable review, but it sits at just 50% for the audience score. If you’re not in the mood for something off-beat or are turned off by the aesthetic in the trailer, you may want to bow out now.
Still with me? What I loved about this film is that the protagonist does not conform to the normal horror archetype. Sheila is a middle-aged black woman with few friends in spite of her pleasant demeanor, living a life where her bosses and her son are dismissive and condescending to an almost absurd degree. Jean-Baptiste is fantastic in the role with a grounded performance that anchors her character in the real world while sinister forces at the department store begin to conspire. The audience roots for this demure woman to try on the empowering deep red gown, knowing full well that it will bring with it some dangerous stakes for Sheila or those around her. The film takes a full hour fleshing out the characters and (I guess) building a bit of a story. It’s never really clear what the film is driving towards, which, given that this is a giallo, is actually more of a feature than a bug. However, when the story makes an abrupt (not to mention sharp) change of direction as it rolls into the final act, I was thrown for a bit of a loop. To the film’s detriment, it feels a bit like I didn’t get the full story that I wanted to see.
What makes IN FABRIC fantastic?Even though I could not stay on board with the story (it felt a bit like SUSPIRIA-light), the style kept me visually engaged throughout. When fashion plays a central role in your picture, you had better build a world that’s stylish, and director Strickland certainly takes a swing here. His two prior films were BERBERIAN SOUND STUDIO, a giallo set in an Italian recording studio, and THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY, an intimate tale of butterfly collecting set against the backdrop of a dominant-submissive lesbian relationship. I have enjoyed all three films, with their hallmarks of critical success and box office poison, and hope this one leads to a larger audience for his next picture.
IN FABRIC is a darkly comedic suspense film, light on horror, but heavy on intrigue. Fans of off-beat modern horror films with a retro feel, such as THE LOVE WITCH or A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT will enjoy this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% (CERTIFIED FRESH)
Metacritic: 83 (MUST SEE)
One Movie Punch: 6.6/10
IN FABRIC (2018) is rated R and available on VOD. Be sure to follow One Movie Punch on Twitter and we’ll let you know when IN FABRIC and any other films we cover hit streaming services.
I’m pulling my first double-header this week, so come back tomorrow for my review of 1917, which just opened in theaters nationwide. Sam Mendes’ World War I tale is presented as a single take following two young infantryman through the trenches. Let’s see if he can pull off this technical marvel and if the film can rise above its filmmaking gimmick.
See you then.
