Maybe the Biologist Ate Your Baby

 

Like anyone with a modicum of taste, I will watch anything that stars (or is directed by) Rebecca Hall. She may very well be the best actor of her generation, and thankfully for us, horror continues to be the best place to find rich roles for women. So onward into some dark territory we go!

Quick Plot: Margaret seems to be the model of early middle age success. She's a single mother by choice to a college-bound teen daughter while acing her managerial role in a pharmaceutical research company. She runs hard, dresses well, and has full control over her sexual relationship with a married coworker. 

But like many characters Rebecca Hall plays, she's also hanging on by a thread.

It's severed when a blast from her past returns: David, the older biologist who wooed her as an impressionable 18-year-old, shows up for a medical conference and instantly throws her back into the nightmare she barely escaped a lifetime ago. 

Resurrection is one of those movies that is better watched without knowing too much of its story, and to actually describe where the film goes in its second act is meaningless without the otherworldly talents of Rebecca Hall laying it out in a jaw-dropping one-shot 8-minute monologue. It's dark, it's upsetting, and unfortunately for me, it's also a bit unsatisfying.

Before I go into details that involve spoilers, I should say that I don't necessarily NOT recommend Resurrection. It's haunting and unusual in its storytelling, and most importantly, boasts an incredible performance from one of the best actors working today. Also, I'm selfish in wanting to hear more discussion on whether it hit or missed the mark for others, so please, if you DO dive into it (streaming now on Shudder), share your thoughts in the comments. 

So, spoilers ahead.

My primary issue with Resurrection is one that comes up with a lot of women-not-being-believed stories: based on how I interpreted this one, it seems to be saying this one shouldn't. 

The film is coy with David's existence, which in itself is a bit maddening. We see no one but Margaret interact with him directly, lending plenty of support to the theory that he's not really in this space at this time, though writer/director Andrew Semans throws a bit of a cheat card with one direct reference to his presence at Margaret's office. Sometimes that kind of ambiguity feels right and even necessary, but in the case of Resurrection, it's just confusing. 

By the time we get to the film's final, violent act, the viewer has to make a choice in their interpretation. Either this is a supernatural tale and Margaret rescues her 22-year-old infant son from her ex's belly, or, certainly more likely, Margaret has had a mental crack spurred on by her daughter's upcoming transition to college, pulling her deep into the well of trauma created long ago by David's abuse and (possible) infanticide. 

I've been turning over Resurrection in my head for about a week now, and I do think that with that time, my initial annoyance has softened into more curiosity. Semans is exploring deep and rich territory with the best muse one could ask for. This is a film designed to challenge you.

High Points

Rebecca Hall, obviously and forever

Low Points

Aforementioned takeaway message

Lessons Learned

Wearing a sweatshirt is a sign of weakness

Internships, even in the biotech industry, will destroy you

Sperm donors are easy to come by if you have the confidence of a Rebecca Hall

Rent/Bury/Buy

As I said earlier, I wouldn't discourage anyone (in the right mood) from watching Resurrection. It's sharply made and riveting through its entire 100 minutes. It's rare to catch yourself holding your breath during a movie, but Resurrection demands it. I just wish it didn't leave me feeling so muddled. My initial annoyance has definitely passed though, so maybe on a future viewing, I'll discover something completely new. That in itself is exciting for a film.