Review: Resonance

Director: Siar Sedig

Guion: Siar Sedig

Año: 2019

In “Resonance”, a young couple seeks to get away from the daily routine to a remote location and work on their relationship. While they walk through the forest that surrounds the cabin where they are staying, they start hearing a strange sound. From there they begin experiencing events that are stranger every time that leads them to believe there is something hidden in the forest.

“Resonance” is a micro-budget movie produced by Terror Films, with only two actors and one location. Although it may seem like they have everything against, the crew makes a magnificent job of making the most out of their resources. Starting with the cast, Max Croes ("Instinct") y Natassia Firestone ("The Conductor") as Max and Elena do a great job at keeping the plot moving. This kind of movies puts a lot of weight on the cat’s shoulders, but both are talented enough to overcome it with ease.

The plot is a mix of drama and psychological suspense that plays with the despair of being vulnerable in the middle of nowhere and couple relationships. When Max and Elena start hearing some resonant noises in the forest, they begin suffering evident physical and psychological damages, accompanies by the failure of electronic devices such as cameras, phones, and cars. Uncommunicated, without means of transportation and far from everything, both must find a way to escape this place, but their bodies and mind keep deteriorating, as well as their relationship.

Something that stands out almost immediately is the beauty of the cinematography and how well spaces are used for this, especially the exterior ones. However, this is not its best attribute, but the atmosphere. Since early on a mysterious and uncertain atmosphere is established that gains intensity as the movie progresses. The atmosphere is backed up by the scenography and acting, but even more by the music; an excellent composition that plays with the tone of the movie.

On the other hand, this movie has some flaws that go beyond its budget. It is impossible to avoid noticing the liking of this director with transition takes, for which in this movie nature takes are preferred, but that re overused to the point of them being exasperating. Also, the dialogues and the rhythm of the movie could have been somewhat better.

“Resonance” moves in part as a couple’s drama, and as a supernatural horror or science fiction movie, but a well done one. The director and screenwriter Siar Sedig in his first full-length feature doesn’t allow the budget to be a limitation to exhibit his talent and that of his cast and crew and ends up with a product that leaves the question of what could have been done with a greater budget. Although far from being flawless, it is an excellent movie for those that enjoy independent horror and thriller movies.