Written and directed by Kerry McArthur, co-directed by Mark Wolfe, a doctor on a last-chance posting enters the hallucinatory worlds of two teenagers in comas following a designer drug experiment gone wrong – only to face down their demons, and a few of her own. Starring: Kate Webb, Yvonne Josine Syfchuck, Ryan Neufeld, Jade Smith, Marty Agabob, Christine Bourgeois, Hubert Brandys, Ann Deatherage, Lynne Karey-McKenna and Justin Syfchuck.
Within Exophoria there’s an intriguing, quiet confidence, in the way that it holds itself mostly in the realm of drama and doesn’t feel pressured to jump straight into horror territory. Instead, it uses the horror to accent its story, which has a more emotionally driven plot than expected. Undoubtedly those choices by the filmmakers will take some viewers by surprise, and they may not be willing to give it a little bit of patience, possibly expecting something more psychedelic or intense, but that’s why it’s always best to go in with an open mind and enjoy this for what it is.
There’s quite a traditional drama style to Exophoria in its opening, and that sets an unusual tone because you know there’s more to it, but Kerry McArthur and Mark Wolfe are keeping things at arm’s length and not letting you nail the tone down just yet. Another great choice in the opening is to not over-explain Jo’s (Kate Webb) background, it’s emotional, very relevant, sensitive territory so it was the right move to let the audience fill in the gaps and not use flashbacks or get into the gory details. That is a key element to Exophoria’s writing, it’s not heavy-handed, it takes its time and you can sense the consideration which has gone into its choices, it’s not going for cheap thrills or shock.
Again, unfortunately that might not be something that appeals to everyone, some horror viewers are purely going to be looking for blood and guts, or ghosts and monsters, but that’s not what Exophoria is. It’s more of a hybrid horror, and both the thematic and visual styles reflects that. Arguably, it could have gone a little darker and fed into its lingering sinister edge more strongly, but you can see why the filmmakers made the choices that they did, to serve their story.
Visually it’s mostly solid work, but there are a few weaker spots here and there, particularly when it comes to the hallucinatory scenes. Later on in the film, they use lighting and the direction to define the otherworldly atmosphere and that works well, it’s simple and effective. However, there’s a number of scenes earlier on that employ drone shots or rely on green screen which doesn’t gel with the overall atmosphere of Exophoria. They feel too formulated and take you out of the experience rather than adding to it.
Similar could be said for the cinematography, it works but it’s better in some moments than others and can occasionally be fairly basic. There are also a few creative choices in the latter scenes that take a pretty big swing, with the snake element in particular falling a little short as Exophoria doesn’t truly build the foundation earlier on to back that choice up. However, the others work well, particularly the teddy bear sequence, which adds a nicely insidious quality. The evolution to the tone as you go through the film is something that’s also well supported by the score which has a great light touch.
One of the other elements which unquestionably strengthens Exophoria is that McArthur and Wolfe manage to build a sincerity. It’s such a common problem in this type of cinema that it can’t connect with the audience because it doesn’t feel grounded, but here they manage to tick that box. Particularly because of the performance from Kate Webb, there are so many opportunities where other actors might have tried to intensify the performance or be more physical about her trauma, but Webb keeps things understated which was a great choice. She makes for an easy lead to follow, Webb gives Jo a good resilience and determination, as well as not hiding her flaws or her broken, but healing, side.
Ryan Neufeld does well for his first feature role and doesn’t push too harshly on the broody teen attitude. Yvonne Josine Syfchuck also does well to create a character with layers, she’s pushing you to judge her, using the audience’s assumptions against them to explore her character’s background. The surprise here though is Ann Deatherage, who is a very welcome addition and adds a warmth and depth. She creates a very intriguing character, and it’s only a shame she doesn’t get more screentime.
It’s easy to respect the effort and thought which went into Exophoria, how Kerry McArthur and Mark Wolfe managed to create a confidence in its consistency and commitment to telling this story of trauma and suppressed emotions. It’s a classic formula to bring together strangers both going through something, and give them the opportunity to help one another, and they make good use of that here. It’s a little bit of a slow burn but it flows well, it’s easy to follow, the horror touches work well for the most part, and there’s an enjoyable, dependable cast at work. Not every choice reaches its full potential but there’s strong intentions at its heart, and it’s a great indie effort.
FilmCarnage.com 