I could write a pretty lengthy paper about the shared images of body horror found in both "Resurrection" and Alex Garland's "Men" from earlier this year. Both movies are psychological thrillers that gradually edge into horror territory. Both are about women who are terrified of men. Both contain hallucinatory imagery and depict impossible events, possibly the products of the disordered minds of their protagonists. "Resurrection" is more grounded than "Men," taking place in a fairly normal, recognizable world. Our main character, Margaret (Rebecca Hall) is only afraid of one man, her abusive ex David (Tim Roth), who reappears in her life after decades.
At least, she thinks it's David. There's every reason to believe that the menacing figure might be a phantom, a wholly imagined creature she's using to justify her increasingly erratic behavior and emotional instability. Her apprehensions about the safety of her nearly-adult daughter Abbie (Grace Kaufman) and her lover Peter (Michael Esper) begin to spiral into paranoia. Roth's David is a subtly chilling madman who makes unreasonable demands of her, and Margaret is the only one who can placate him. If that means walking to work barefoot, performing obeisances in the dead of night, frightening her loved ones, and letting her life unravel, that's just how it has to be. Written and directed by Andrew Semans, the movie smartly never gives clear answers. Does David exist? Did he ever exist? Does it matter either way?
In the wrong hands, a premise like this could have been a mess, but instead it's a great showcase for Rebecca Hall. She doesn't convince us that any of the strange events in her life are real, but she makes it clear that Margaret believes that they are real, and is tormented by them to the point of desperation. She gets us to treat absurd notions as deadly serious, because she's utterly committed to their reality and never flinches. Hall has played several similar roles, such as Christine Chubbuck in "Christine" and the heroine of "The Night House." This is the first time one of her performances has really gotten to me, maybe because the manifestations of her pain are so clearly tied to past trauma and guilt and motherhood. It's absolutely riveting to watch, and "Resurrection" largely works because of her efforts.
Another great performance, of an entirely different kind, is delivered by Amber Midthunder in "Prey." I have no particular attachment to the "Predator" franchise, but I have to admire Dan Trachtenberg and Patrick Alson for coming up with such a fun concept for a new entry. Set in 1719, "Prey" depicts a tribe of Comanche encountering an alien Predator (Dane DiLiegro). Our heroine is an aspiring hunter named Naru (Amber Midthunder), who has to use her wits to find a way to defeat the Predator, because she and her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) can't hope to match it in strength or technology. There are some Easter eggs here and there for the established Predator fans, but "Prey" is more interested in being a pure cat-and-mouse action film, and is very good at it.
The film is getting a lot of attention for its rare indigenous heroine and portrayal of Comanche culture. The filmmakers even went to the trouble of preparing a Comanche language version of the film for those who want a more immersive and historically accurate viewing experience. However, at the end of the day the movie still needs to deliver on the action and the thrills, and "Prey" has no trouble doing this. Amber Midthunder makes for a solid underdog, and gets a cute dog for a sidekick too. I've seen her in a couple of projects now, and I'm so happy to see her getting more of the spotlight. Dakota Beavers is apparently a complete unknown, but his screen presence is excellent. And then there's the Predator itself, who is clearly less experienced and less deadly than some of the ones who have featured in other films, but still a significant threat. We get to see a few of its early bouts with CGI animals, including a bear, to set up its deadly capabilities.
When the Predator finally sets its sights on humans, I think the resulting clashes should satisfy anybody who likes the other films in the franchise. And for those new to this universe, I couldn't think of a better introduction.
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