BLOGTOBER 10/13/2022: NOCEBO (2022)

First things first: Right now, IMDB and Wikipedia are listing only director Lorcan Finnegan's creative partner Garret Shanley as the writer of NOCEBO. In reality, the Irish co-production is also written by Ara Chawdury, a Filipino woman who largely referenced her lifetime of research into her own family for this folk horror story involving her ancestors' religious practices. The movie is brand new, of course, so hopefully all the usual online resources will catch up soon enough.

The film itself is a curiosity, not because of its ethnographic content, but because the story is deadly serious, but the execution skews pretty campy. This review is really spoilery, but I think many viewers will cotton to what's going on right away: Eva Green plays a children's fashion designer who becomes abjectly, undiagnosably ill after an unspecified personal catastrophe. She blames her frequent memory lapses when Chai Fonacier surprises her on her doorstep, insisting that she has been hired to help out around the house. The young Filipino woman soon reveals that she is a kind of witch with the power to cure or destroy a person, and her desperate employer blithely assumes that she'll stick to the former option. Though Fonacier's true motivations are revealed slowly throughout the movie, it becomes obvious quickly that Eva Green's clothing is produced in a sweatshop where a devastating tragedy took place, and the young witch is here to enact her revenge.

The ending credits include a line that says "JUSTICE FOR KENTEX WORKERS," referring to a notorious 2015 factory fire that killed 74 people in Manila. NOCEBO is laced through with genuine angst about the perilous state of affairs for invisible brown labor, as Ara Chawdury noted in her introduction to the film at the opening night of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. Chawdury also acknowledged the risk she felt as a writer in vilifying poor Filipino workers, but all things considered, it's hard not to see Chai Fonacier's character as the hero, at least by the end of the film. She is a magnetic performer whose emotional performance does a lot of heavy lifting for what is a fairly simple tale of revenge.

But, at the same time that Fonacier is delivering an appropriate sense of real-world horror, NOCEBO has sort of a campy sensibility that I thought they might have pushed a little further still. The key image of the film is a zombie-like hound who deploys a whirlwind of large, pulsing ticks that trigger Eva Green's illness, and she has increasingly elaborate hallucinations about these insects that are frankly delightful, especially when they turn up at a fashion shoot and cover the dancing child models (who are "urban, ethnic, Southeast Asian!"), leaving behind infectious lesions. It's possible that this wasn't meant to be as much fun as I actually found it, but I'd like to think the filmmakers wouldn't begrudge me my good time. I also enjoyed the fact that they cast english rose Eva Green, and they just have her look completely wrung out for almost the entire movie—clammy, balding, and generally beat to shit. I appreciate the feeling of righteous vengeance that drives the plot about labor exploitation, but I also like it when movies take a little revenge on attractive people. NOCEBO just might have a little something for everyone.

Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Nocebo’ on Shudder, a Social-Horror Outing Pitting Eva Green Against a Big Fat Tick

Eva Green gives another odd-duck performance in body-horrorish thriller Nocebo (now on Shudder), from director Lorcan Finnegan and writer Garret Shanley, who previously collaborated on the very weird parable-horror film Vivarium. Well, this one’s weird too, so it’s right in Green’s wheelhouse; she plays a woman of privilege who finds herself battling a very, very ugly little tick – and maybe her…

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"Efecto nocebo"

"Efecto Nocebo" (Nocebo) (2022) es un thriller psicológico estadounidense que está dirigido por Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium, Without Name) y cuenta con un guion escrito por Garret Shanley. La historia sigue a una influyente diseñadora de moda que sufre una enfermedad misteriosa que desconcierta a sus médicos y acaba frustrando a su esposo. Todo cambia cuando recibe la ayuda de una cuidadora filipina que usa la curación popular tradicional de su país para sanarla y de paso revelar una verdad horrible del pasado.

Está protagonizada por Eva Green (Las luminarias, Próxima), Mark Strong (Temple, El captor), Cathy Belton (Volver a empezar (Herself), The Catch), Billie Gadsdon, Chai Fonacier y Anthony Falcon. La película tuvo su estreno en España dentro de la programación del Festival de Sitges 2022. Sin haber pasado por cines comerciales se ha estrenado en la plataforma de Movistar+ el día 27 de Febrero de 2023.

"Efecto Nocebo", lo contrario al efecto placebo, acaba supeditando su impacto a un mensaje de crítica social que resulta tan bienintencionado como obvio y tramposo. Tengo que advertir que se trata de una película de contrastes que puede gustar mucho o ser detestada según te convenzan o no las triquiñuelas argumentales que contiene el desarrollo de la historia. Lo siento, pero a mi no me la colaron.

El argumento de "Efecto Nocebo" es un poco de «peli de tarde». La protagonista es Christine (Eva Green), una diseñadora de moda que sufre unas terribles pesadillas alucinógenas que la van apartando paulatinamente de su trabajo y que, al parecer, podrían estar relacionadas con un hecho traumático relativo al pasado que su mente ha preferido borrar. Para liberarse del estrés diario de las tareas del hogar y poder concentrarse así en su total recuperación, la mujer decide contratar a una asistenta filipina, Diana (Chai Fonacier), quien se convertirá a cada día que pase en alguien más imprescindible en su vida diaria. Su empleada-curandera se ocupará tanto de las tareas del hogar como de ayudarle a superar su enfermedad mediante tratamientos homeopáticos comunes en la medicina tradicional de su país de origen.

La relación de dependencia que surge entre esas dos mujeres de distinta clase social y que, en algunos aspectos, les hace intercambiar la condición preestablecida de sus respectivos roles, nos plantea algunos debates interesantes que se difuminan por el efectismo de fondo que posee la historia. El «aspecto mágico» de las costumbres filipinas tampoco deja de ser un elemento exótico que no queda bien integrado con el resto de elementos que se ponen sobre el tapiz.

Y es que esa extraña relación que pone la mosca detrás de la oreja al marido de Christine, Felix (Mark Strong), en realidad oculta un maquiavélico plan que servirá al tándem formado por guionista y director para denunciar las prácticas indecentes que realizan algunas grandes multinacionales empresariales para hacer crecer sus beneficios a costa de utilizar mano de obra barata (por no llamarlo tener esclavos) en países extranjeros menos desarrollados económicamente cuya necesidad les obliga a trabajar en condiciones infrahumanas. Ahí está el quid de la cuestión.

Por tanto, en "Efecto Nocebo", no hay misterio, ni intriga, ni mucho menos terror. La historia acaba siendo igual de insípida que el personaje interpretado por Mark Strong, un tipo que parece pasar por allí sin saber muy bien de que va la cosa. Todo se reduce al duelo interpretativo entre una sofisticada Eva Green (más perdida aquí que un pulpo en un garaje) y la menuda Chai Fonacier, que es quién acaba ganando la batalla para sostener la película gracias a un ambiguo personaje de criada que mece la cuna y envenena los sueños de los ricachones.

"Efecto Nocebo" es un thriller psicológico decepcionante, ni buena ni mala, tan solo para pasar el rato de aburrimiento.

Mark Strong desaprovechado y Eva Green sigue sin despegar.

Vivarium (May 2019)

Directed by: Lorcan Finnegan

Written by: Lorcan Finnegan and Garret Shanley

Rated R for language and some sexuality/nudity.

Movie Synopsis: A young couple visits a real estate agency to buy a house. A strange agent accompanies them to a mysterious and peculiar new development to show them a single-family home. There they will be trapped in a labyrinthine nightmare.

Review 5 stars

Mind bending, thrilling and disturbingly maddening. It is your endless labyrinth combined with the unfathomable nightmare of raising a childlike creature that you yourself as a viewer will want to get rid of. I couldn't help but sympathize with the main characters the entire time and by the end I couldn't believe nor understand what I watched. But nevertheless, I couldn't help but want to watch it again. It's wonderfully bizarre. 

Watch it on: Amazon Prime

Sources

Pictures: Pinterest

Synopsis: Google

Nocebo (2022)

Date de sortie : 04/11/2022 Réalisateur : Lorcan Finnegan Scénario : Garret Shanley Avec : Eva Green, Mark Strong, Chai Fonacier

Synopsis : Une créatrice de mode souffre d’une maladie mystérieuse qui déconcerte ses médecins et frustre son mari, jusqu’à ce que l’aide arrive sous la forme d’un soignant philippin, qui utilise la guérison folklorique traditionnelle pour révéler une vérité horrible.

NOCEBO (2022) Eva Green horror - trailer

NOCEBO (2022) Eva Green horror – trailer

‘Sanity hangs by a thread’ Nocebo is a 2022 horror film about a fashion designer suffering from a mysterious illness until a Filipino carer uses folk healing. Directed by Lorcan Finnegan (Vivarium; Without Name) from a screenplay written by Garret Shanley (who also wrote Vivarium and Without Name). Produced by Brunella Cocchiglia and Emily Leo. The Irish-Filipino movie stars Eva Green, Mark…

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CALIFICACIÓN PERSONAL: 6.5 / 10

Título Original: Vivarium

Año: 2019

Duración: 97 min

País: Irlanda

Dirección: Lorcan Finnegan

Guion: Garret Shanley. Historia: Lorcan Finnegan, Garret Shanley

Música: Kristian Eidnes Andersen

Fotografía: MacGregor

Reparto: Imogen Poots, Jesse Eisenberg, Jonathan Aris, Olga Wehrly, Danielle Ryan

Productora: Coproducción Irlanda-Bélgica-Dinamarca-Estados Unidos; Fantastic Films, Frakas Productions, PingPong Film, XYZ Films. Distribuidora: XYZ Films

Género: Mystery; Horror; Sci-Fi

TRAILER:

NOCEBO (2022) Movie Trailer: The Cure to Eva Green's Mysterious Illness Reveals a Horrifying Truth

NOCEBO (2022) Movie Trailer: The Cure to Eva Green’s Mysterious Illness Reveals a Horrifying Truth

Nocebo Trailer Lorcan Finnegan‘s Nocebo (2022) movie trailer has been released by Vertigo Releasing. The Nocebo trailer stars Eva Green, Mark Strong, Billie Gadsdon, Cathy Belton, and Chai Fonacier. Crew Garret Shanley wrote the screenplay for Nocebo. “Produced by Brunella Cocchiglia and Emily Leo.” Advertisement   Plot Synopsis Nocebo‘s plot synopsis: “A talented fashion designer (Eva Green) is…

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Vivarium, 2019

Vivarium (2019)

My rating: 7/10

This is one of those high concept "wouldn't it be fucked up if..." type stories, as popularized by The Twilight Zone and similar shows - and as such, your mileage probably varies a lot based on how much you can buy into the central conceit. I personally rather enjoyed it, it was pleasantly weird, Poots was an entertaining lead, and Eisenberg got to do something other than his usual "wimpy nerd boy" shtick.

Vivarium (2019) dir.  Lorcan Finnegan

Via Father Son Holy Gore “This house is forever”: The Heteronormative Houses Capitalism Built in VIVARIUM Come to Yonder— a heteronormative subdivision of your darkest capitalist nightmares. via “This house is forever”: The Heteronormative Houses Capitalism Built in VIVARIUM — Father Son Holy Gore

Vivarium (Film)

Source: IMDb

What is it?

The 2019 science fiction horror movie Vivarium.

(more…)

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Imogen Poots & Jesse Eisenberg Are Trapped In A Surreal Nightmare In New Trailer For 'Vivarium'

Imogen Poots & Jesse Eisenberg Are Trapped In A Surreal Nightmare In New Trailer For ‘Vivarium’

On their search for the perfect home, Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) visit a new house in a labyrinthine suburban neighbourhood. When they attempt to leave, each road mysteriously takes them back to where they started, leading them on a mind-bending trip, trapped in a surreal nightmare.

https://jumpcuton…

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MOVIE REVIEW: Without Name

MOVIE REVIEW: Without Name

Psychological Eco Horror set in Ireland.  A land surveyor is sent on a job to a forest in Ireland, where he has to measure all the readings that a construction company needs to start building.  There are ecological reasons to keep this job quiet from the locals.  At home his wife and son are growing ever more distant from him, mainly because he’s having an affair with a student, who is going to…

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Vivarium 2019 ‧ Gizem/Bilim Kurgu ‧ 1 saat 39 dakika İngilizceden çevrilmiştir-Vivarium, Finnegan ve Garret Shanley'nin hikayesinden Lorcan Finnegan tarafından yönetilen 2019 bilim kurgu korku filmidir. İrlanda, Danimarka ve Belçika arasında uluslararası bir ortak yapım olan filmde Imogen Poots ve Jesse Eisenberg rol alıyor. @Imogen Poots Orijinal açıklamayı göster Yayın tarihi: 12 Haziran 2020 (Tayvan) Yönetmeni: Lorcan Finnegan Bilet gişesi: 427.399 USD Öykü: Lorcan Finnegan, Garret Shanley Senaryo: Lorcan Finnegan, Garret Shanley #sunset #sunrise #sun #TFLers #pretty #beautiful #red #orange #pink #sky #nature #clouds #horizon #photooftheday #instagood #gorgeous #warm #view #night #morning #silhouette #instasky #all_sunsets (The Netherlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKCozwFAZPo/?igshid=idni6egmhkz0