Sun Choke (2015)

Firstly, if you: Considered Lynch's "Lost Highway" / "Mulholland Drive" or Lyne's "9 ½ Weeks" to be pointless, plot less & boring drivel in any way; Prefer reading cereal boxes over poetry any day; Think that anything not plot driven is pretentious; Then: This one's not for you. Move on and spare us from yet another barrage of unwarranted "Boring" and "Goes Nowhere" posts and reviews identical to all those that litter every independent film's page. For the more adventurous viewer: Ben Cresciman's "Sun Choke" has absolutely no clear-cut links with the aforementioned films—they're the better-known examples that readily came to mind--but if you enjoyed some aspects of those, then the story-telling mode employed here will definitely not feel alien to you or be an obstacle to the film's many appealing qualities. And no, being a fan of poetry is not necessary, but keep in mind that this film, like a fine poem, demands a certain degree of patience, receptivity, and abandon if the viewer is to reflect any meaning upon the prudently crafted images that play upon our senses; if anything, this film positively drips sensuality, though one that never draws its potency from sexuality/eroticism albeit the actual, eye-appealing nudity, which there's plenty of. Of course, composition and framing are a big part of Cresciman's success in that respect, but it is in fact, contrary to most who've dealt with such a subject, the use of a highly-curtailed palette that moves heavily towards light and limited contrasts, rather than darkness, that establishes him as someone with a clear intent and a firm control over his medium; this alone is a refreshing change for the genre. Combine this with remarkable, understated performances and the overall effect hypnotizes as it seeks to quietly unsettle. Barbara Crampton discreetly gives life to a character none of us would want in our lives even if no one can satisfactorily explain why, and images of Sarah Hagan, who plays the unstable lead hauntingly, will surely linger in your mind for some time. Despite all that, I don't entirely feel comfortable limiting Sun Choke's scope to art house or character study. Certainly, exploration is a big part of it, but not in any narrowly definable way; suggesting it's an examination of lunacy and control dynamics (as seen through the interplay of three women) Is entirely accurate, but also feels deeply lacking. Still, even if blurred, narrative and genre are patently excluded from this examination. So, why have I avoided discussing the story line up to now? Well, at this point, I'm assuming you've already read at least one synopsis and my goal isn't to tell you the story—the film does that— but to help you decide whether you should invest time and attention watching it. For that reason, and the fact that I sincerely believe that the story presented is so dull it doesn't even warrant mention, I strongly encourage anyone who's not put off by anything I've mentioned so far to forgo any attempts to learn more re the plot until you've given it at least one view. Despite what's being said, all the story elements are there; we don't need anything more. Sure, our mind, preoccupied with the details, seeks answers and is left unsatisfied. That's our problem, not the filmmaker's, for the story is that banal and can't be improved with details. Accept it. In a way, it's similar to Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream", which presented nothing but the clichés associated with an already overdone subject,but did so by focusing on a slew of fresh technical aspects, the sum of which gave us something that felt so very new. Here, through Cresciman's work, we're granted a highly intimate and revealing view of insanity, one that lets us access new feelings, but only if the viewer willingly accepts that uncertainty vis-à-vis reality along with a marked irrationality (i.e. unjustifiability of actions) are part and parcel of psychosis… Isn't madness to absolutely want to apply logic where none can be had? Nonetheless, those desperately seeking to piece together, and cling to, some deep, hidden meaning have plenty to work with—all the elements are there for that as well—though I suspect you'll never find satisfaction if taking that route.Is "Sun Choke" the result a fluke, or does it herald a new, bona fide artistic force? I, for one, am anxiously looking forward to Ben Cresciman's next project.

I knew virtually nothing about Sun Choke before I decided to check it out on Netflix. This movie had an extremely limited release date and flew under many critic's radars. My expectations were fairly high going into it, thinking that I may have discovered another subtle and underrated gem. Boy was I wrong. Sun Choke is a movie that has nothing important to say and feels cheap, gimmicky and recycled.Firstly, the good things. Admittedly, there aren't many positives with Sun Choke but I guess the acting was passable. Sarah Hagan in the lead role does a decent job even if she sometimes overacts. I can see her having bigger roles in the future, but for the rest of the cast, that's a different story. One of the supporting actresses in the film was particularly awful. Sure enough, this spectacularly attractive actress, is also a model. Just as I suspected. And conveniently, she has multiple nude scenes. So clearly the director decided to go for the looks instead of the talent which led to a laughably bad performance from her. Now the story. The story is basically a blatant rip-off of Yorgos Lanthimos' Dog Tooth, which just happens to be a much better film. Sun Choke attempts the "isolated training sessions" plot that so many films have done(better)before, which gives the film a recycled, cheap feeling. And if you are familiar with the genre, it is also totally predictable. There was nothing surprising about where the story went and frankly I stopped caring after 45 minutes. There is not one bit of originality in this campy, pretentious mess. None of the protagonist's psychotic actions can really be explained as all of the characters are completely underdeveloped, especially the main character. Her transition that we are supposed to find shocking, comes off as laughable and just forced. We know nothing about this character or why she is doing these things. The most explanation we get for the character's actions is "she's insane" and that felt offensively lazy. The camera work was okay and the lighting was decent but it doesn't even begin to bring the quality of this film anywhere close to above average.Sun Choke does absolutely nothing new. Basically it's entire story is borrowed and has nothing remotely interesting going on. Quite frankly it wouldn't be too harsh saying that this movie has no reason to exist. It's unoriginal, recycled and completely gimmicky. The pretentious take on the concept feels cheap and the blatantly obvious ending metaphor is as subtle as hammer-blow to the head.

For me at least, this film is a masterpiece of extreme character study and psych intrigue extracted from a very minimal budget, but parlayed into a brilliantly visual and emotional experience.It would be redundant to replicate the detailed description that has been more than aptly articulated by previous reviewers, so I'll simply limit my commentary to a general sense of quality of experience, and in that context, this production deserves high marks.Yes, some of the editing can seem to be a bit jagged, like a puzzle who's pieces snap into place at quasi random moments, but still leave enough holes to require a fair amount of contemplation for the viewer to complete the intended picture.But that's part of the beauty of this production, in that it absolutely pulls you in, requiring an attention to detail without becoming a tedious exercise for comprehension.Sarah Hagan matches her character as Janie perfectly. If anything, she makes the experience uniquely hers, as it would be difficult to imagine anyone else being able to capture the essence of Janie with such depth and precision.The content itself is disturbing, make no doubt about that. This film is certainly not for everyone. But for those who can appreciate this genre of story and character study, it's a superb expression of the artform.

I had to "steal" this summary line from that one other review on IMDb (at this time), because it hits the nail on the head. Actually the review is very thorough overall, but this tag alone should be an indication if the movie itself is something you want to watch. Even without that tag line I went to watch it, not knowing anything except the title of the movie itself of course.And while it's slow moving/brewing, which might not be most people cup of tea, I have to say that it fits the movie and the story. There is incidental nudity and there is weirdness abound too. Characters behavior may not be easily explained under "normal" circumstances, but the movie is not describing normal at all. This gets clear pretty early on. Does it still sound like something you want to watch? It's not easy let me tell you that. Especially when our main character gets "schooled".There are a couple of themes here, rebellion, growing up, exploring and more and all packed in a psycho horror setting that will either feel "delightful" or nauseating, depending on your viewing habits. It's just a movie, so you'll either like the art created or loathe it