Do Not Disturb review.
Do Not Disturb gets a lot out of its concept. Great performances and style to burn keep you engaged throughout.
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Do Not Distrurb
Directed by John Anslie
Written by John Anslie
Starring Kimberly Laferiere, Rogan Christopher, Janet Porter, Christian McKenna, Rupinder Nagra and Patrick McNeil
Do Not Disturb Review
Love may not be in the air for young married couple Chloe (Kimberly Laferriere) and Jack (Rogan Christopher) …but a whole lot of blood will be. Do Not Disturb refers, of course, to the hanger you place on a hotel door when you don’t want anyone to enter the room. If you prefer your movie watching to have its own do not disturb warning…this might not be the movie for you. For those who enjoy a little cannibalism with their marital dramas…come on in.
Chloe and Jack’s marriage is not in the best place when they decide to vacation at an adult only resort. They’ve lost a pregnancy and Chloe fears the coming child was the only reason he stuck around. Jack chose an adult only hotel because he didn’t want to subject his wife to the sadness that accompanies being around children. A fairly noble attempt that leads to a few too many miscommunications. Namely in the “swinging couples” department. Their vacation friends Wendy (Janet Porter) and Wayne (Christian McKenna) are down for anything…which makes those brunches a little awkward. Though not as awkward as when Chloe and Jack eat Wendy.
We should back up. This is more of a drug movie than a cannibal movie…though it ends up being both. Jack and Chloe do some drugs with Wayne and Wendy…but it’s nothing like they will do when a crazed stranger throws peyote at them and then walks himself into the sea. That should be a clue to not do those drugs…but they don’t get that hint. When they do those strange drugs…all hell breaks loose. And they can’t remember any of it.
Do Not Disturb uses some fun film techniques to show the mental states of its lead characters. It conveys their loss of time and memory in a kinetic way…allowing you to feel it too. The camera will turn and reveal something (or someone) you didn’t think was there a second ago. But it hasn’t been a second. It gives the movie great energy. Combine that with finding pieces of people and not understanding when or how this happened…and you have a dynamite second act.
There’s a strong energy right from the opening titles, in fact. Despite largely being a two-hander…much of it spent in a hotel room…Do Not Disturb is an exciting movie. Writer/director John Ainslie makes the interesting choice to shoot the picture in an ultra-wide aspect ratio. It allows for some gorgeous outdoor views…and the wide angle allows the small hotel room to feel bigger than it is. There are some beautiful shot compositions here.
Performances are top notch as well. Again, this is mostly two people on screen talking about a nightmare they are both caught in. It feels as natural as a story about drug included cannibalism can feel, one supposes. Oh yes…back to Wendy. Chloe and Jack wake up to discover they’ve eaten her. A flashback shows us how this came about…since they can’t remember anything about it. It makes sense though…Chloe has already taken a big bite out of Jack’s shoulder than neither of them remembers.
The couple is caught in long haze of feeling great and…craving flesh. Both sexually and for dinner. As a temporary solution to marital strife…losing time and devouring people is a good one. Wayne comes looking for Wendy…and you can probably guess what happens next. Do Not Disturb sees its characters trap themselves in a vicious (and delicious) cycle. But you have to check out sometime.
Do Not Disturb doesn’t quite stick the landing but it makes some bold moves before the end. The movie leaves you with some unanswered question. It is a bit frustrating. Mostly, however, Do Not Disturb is a fun trip in every sense of the phrase. It combines dark comedy and bloody messes with surprisingly grounded relationship issues. Along with its beautiful direction and winning performances (Laferriere is a standout)…Do Not Disturb should be on your menu.
Scare Value
Do Not Disturb has a lot of things going for it. Top notch performances, excellent use of editing, unique style… This is an engaging watch despite the subject matter. A well-done portrayal of a trip gone horribly. The road it goes down is equally disturbing. It leaves you wondering what happens next…perhaps not in the best way.
3.5/5
Do Not Disturb Link
Rent/Buy on VOD from Vudu
