Directed by: Marcus McMahon Written by: Marcus McMahon Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy |
A Helical
A Helical (Marcus McMahon) stands alone on a planet resembling our own, only weirder. He walks across the highly ordered landscape, speaks with a talking head that looks a lot like it came from a Monty Python movie, and like the talking head itself, speaks in what seems to be riddles. Riddles that repeat. Along his journey, he meets up with his mother (Sanna Kelly) who is just as perplexing and mildly nightmarish, and some thugs who only do 2 things. Drive and blink. A Helical, as presented by Marcus McMahon resides in a strange and weirdly ordered world. A blending of the fantastical, the scary, and the wonderous. A place that makes no real sense at all; with a man/being who demands it. Through it all I had a wonderous journey indeed. Most of the time.
A Helical is an incredibly surreal trip with a dash of horror. The horror doesn't come from blood or guts, but with vistas that are so strange, they can hurt the head to think about. A Helical the man, embarks on a journey that seems to be one of truth and understanding; in a world that seems devoid of such things. He's been here before, and every visit delves deeper and deeper within this strange world struggling for some understanding. Almost as much as I struggled to understand sometimes. Maybe Marcus McMahon wanted to simply create a title that explored feelings and emotions, as it's alien host walked from point A, to point weird and if so, this title is a success 100%. The hairs on the back of my neck rose as this directors vision filled my eyes. I can't even say for certain why, only that the trick was accomplished and my emotional Pandora's box was opened. But still, a more concrete narrative would have been welcomed. A definitive guide to this perplexing world because from my point of view, A Helical could have been about exploring the inner mind. What a fascinating look into the workings of the brain. This title could be about a lot of things, and that is both a good and bad point of contention for me. After watching I came to 2 conclusions. A Helical was both a good and bad film but unmistakably very visceral to watch. Its experimental nature and surreal imagery is the workhorse of this title, the F*ed up, otherworldly performances are the veins carrying the absurdities, and a viewers own interpretations of this title is the heart. A Helical won't impress viewers looking for a more traditional title, but anyone who loves something different, something a little off the wall, will feel right at home. This title is a complex production with one goal I believe, to get its viewers wondering and thinking outside the box. It succeeds, and does so in under 30 minutes. Imagine that. |
