Reflect review.
A spiritual obstacle course/reality show where hooded figures look to steal your bodies. You know…that old chestnut.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Reflect
Directed by Dana Kippel
Written by Dana Kippel
Starring Dana Kippel, Grace Patterson, Marrisa Patterson, Jadelyn Breier, Ariana Brown, Joe Filippone and Campbell Crates
Reflect Review
Review
Reviewing completely original films can be a difficult task. Most movies are a variation of some kind of theme. That allows for several areas of discussion focused on influences, comparable films and how expected ideas are done in a new way. When you get a movie like Reflect…it can be tough to know where to begin. Writer/director/star Dana Kippel’s debut feature doesn’t follow any obvious templates. IMDB classifies it as a comedy/sci-fi/thriller. Those elements are certainly present in Reflect…but it doesn’t really feel like it fits in those boxes.
Cranked Up Films press release dubs it a sci-fi metaphysical thriller. That feels closer to the truth. At least it did once I looked up the meaning of the word “metaphysical”. I’d have gone with it being a cosmic existential trauma story…but I’m fairly certain those categories aren’t available on the database. This is all a long way of saying that Reflect is doing a lot of things…and it’s doing them in ways that don’t always subscribe to standard film language.
This isn’t to suggest that Reflect is inaccessible. It can be confusing. The good kind of confusing that makes you want to watch it again once you get on its unique wavelength. The structure of the piece is sound. It plays the notes at a unique tempo. At its core Reflect is a story about trauma. Each of the characters who embark on the spiritual journey is struggling to deal with something. They’ll be confronted by their demons in surreal and surprising ways. If you’ve read that and are thinking…what’s so strange about this story? It’s easily understandable. Well…the women are also stalked by hooded figures keen on stealing their bodies as they unwittingly participate in an interdimensional game show.
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Let’s back up.
Summer (Kippel) is unhappy with her current relationship with James (Corey Brooks). She gathers her friends and heads out to the Sedona desert for a spiritual retreat. Joined by Nia (Ariana Brown), Liz (Jadelyn Breier) and sisters Katie (Grace Patterson) and Annie (Marissa Patterson) …the quintet set out on a path to achieve personal growth. Encountering eccentric guides and almost immediately falling to in-fighting…the group finds themselves dealing with an unexpected problem. Hooded figures looking to steal their bodies. It turns out, Summer and friends are contestants in a cosmic reality competition called The Game of Life. They must face their personal traumas and find a way to escape. You know…that same old story.
It isn’t just Kippel’s concept that feels fresh…every aspect of Reflect does. It can feel impenetrable at times…but it is a journey well worth continuing. It’s a gorgeous film…taking full advantage of its desert setting. The cast is excellent with their mix of traditional and, frankly, odd material. It all combines into a movie that feels like you’re on a spiritual journey while being watched by interdimensional beings. If that makes sense. Which…it actually ends up managing to.
While the journey itself has some ups and downs…some head scratching moments that will need further viewings to, no pun intended, reflect upon…the story absolutely sticks the landing. Against all odds everything congeals into a wonderful flourish. There are some laughs, memorable characters and a lot of self-discoveries along the way…but it’s Reflect’s ability to combine the surreal, the extraterrestrial and the internal that impresses most. We’ve talked a lot about how trauma stories have started to overwhelm horror in recent years. I just wish most of them were half as bold and unique as Reflect.
Scare Value
If nothing else, Reflect is totally original. Although at times confusing…it sticks the landing. Sure to require a rewatch once you get on the movie’s strange wavelength. You may only feel the surface level of the story at first blush…but even that is enough to create an interesting world full of eccentric characters. It’s different…that’s for sure. More importantly, it’s original.
3.5/5
