Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE ARBORS [Austin Film Festival 2020 - Virtual]

The essence of a creature feature always relays in the idea of the protagonist to its host. there has to be some symbiosis or at least an idea of why the struggle exists. The lead of Ethan Daunes (played by Drew Matthews) in  "The Arbors" is a locksmith trying to find the essence of what life is. He never says this out loud but seems to simply wander around in a dream state of what he could be. The film starts off this way and then shifts with a genre twist but it never quite gains much speed. While it has merit, it just shows more of his isolationism than an inner battle, however Kafkaesque it would like to be . Ethan is not really a character you can get behind because he is so meek whether it is in his job, with his brother's family or a girl who likes him. They all want to get away from their small town lives but keep finding themselves bringing brought back to the bottom. The creature of sorts (like "Death Note") is just a blackness that reflects Ethan's inner self, whether it is real or not. The question becomes if it even exists but a trail of bodies seem to confirm this though some bodies seemed to conveniently disappear. Granted there are some moments of true 80s flashback cool such as when a group of scientists approaches a house . The set up works well evoking everything from "E.T," to "Alien" within a 5-minute span. The issue is that this tension cannot be maintained. There is too many shots staring into space and characters talking about how they feel instead of showing. One specific relationship with a male friend who just "wants to help" doesn't have the necessary logic to it and yet stands out as glaringly unbelievable since its angle is not clear. As the noose tightens, Ethan actually seems to become more aloof so even the inherent resolution of facing fear at the end of the film seems empty. While mystery can be maintained, the simple consequences of actions doesn't connect a lot of the time especially when many characters simply disappear within the story rendering their intention or point to the plot effective in certain points but yet strangely moot. Ultimately Ethan is content to let the world continue around him though in reality it could all be in his mind...and that might be a very boring place. D

By Tim Wassberg