Shudder Saturday: Medusa (2022)

There's a lot going on in Medusa, but it can be easy to think otherwise as strands are stretched out throughout the 132-minute runtime. I'm also going to start this review by saying that I'm only, as ever, providing my own interpretation of the thing. Others may get something very different from it, and I would love to hear from anyone who has a different view on the whole thing.

Mari Oliveira plays Mariana, a young woman who is part of a religious group that believes in confrontational action. They sing nice songs and dress up for formal events, but the evenings can be spent looking for "sinners" they can attack and frighten into apparently seeing the error of their ways. One of those attacks went too far though, even by Mariana's standards, and there's a whole lot of guilt to be dealt with and questions to be answered. Sometimes Mariana tries to discuss the situation with Michele (Lara Tremouroux), but it's hard to really communicate with people who are keeping themselves permanently ready to receive the words of Pastor Guilherme (Thiago Fragoso).

The second feature directed by Anita Rocha da Silveira, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Éri Sarmet, what you get here is a fantastic melting pot of ideas being explored. The push and pull, and hypocrisy, of organised religion is one, but also the ways in which those unsettled by their own feelings can take out their frustration on others, and it's surely no coincidence that all of the women onscreen are still caught up in a structure that has a man in charge of the whole thing.

The screenplay is helped by composer Bernardo Uzeda and cinematographer Joäo Atala, as well as editor Marilla Moraes, while Da Silveira has the main characters weaving between neon lights and dark alleyways, from grim reality to surreal visions, all tied to the constant ebb and flow of their own self-confidence and perception.

Oliveira is fantastic in the lead role, able to handle the toughness and complexity of the material. Tremouroux may have a slightly easier job, but she does just as well. It's also essential to mention Bruna Linzmeyer, playing Melissa, a woman who didn't submit to the onslaught when confronted by the religious mob. Melissa may be recovering from major injuries somewhere, and her absence has a big impact on the characters. Fragoso does well with his scenes, and Felipe Frazão makes a strong enough impression to throw another spanner in the works.

Calling to mind some other fine directors, Da Silveira makes use of some gorgeous and memorable imagery, some impressively grotesque body horror, and a lot of the danger and tension that comes from simply being a woman in a world that is still very dangerous for, and scared of, them. Some will find this too bizarre, and I certainly wouldn’t label it as a horror movie ahead of a social commentary piece, but it’s quite brilliant, and I appreciated it even more while mulling it all over for this review.

8/10

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