A family struggling with the accidental death of their daughter head out to their secluded holiday home, insert some creepy neighbours… what could possibly go wrong? Opening with some sort of reimagining of the music video for “Karma Police”, Replicas is a film that lives up to its name, borrowing concepts and elements from the past and placing them – and its tired formula – into a suspenseful thriller that is a surprising success, both engaging and well executed.
Starring Selma Blair as Mary, who is no stranger to the genre, alongside James D’Arcy and Rachel Miner, the Jeremy Power Regimbal directed film is an example of the suspense genre done right. Both the script and the acting are kept from ever being too over the top, with the cinematography given ample chance to shine, in spite of the film’s relatively singular location.
Though the film has an underlying message which the Possible Worlds website posits as “What if the 99% knocked on the door of the 1% and said, “we want what you have?””, ultimately this isn’t a film that’s going to leave you thinking too much about global economics; especially when the 99% are the ‘baddies”. But it may leave you thinking twice about taking a holiday to a secluded mansion…
I for one was on the edge of my seat from start to finish, with the title of the film giving a good hint at what was to come once we were introduced to the neighbours. The score is used to great effect, with the director choosing silence more often than not and once the tension begins, it does not let up until its end. Though not a gory film by any means, this is a psychologically suspensful film that is not for the faint hearted. If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s definitely worth a peak.
Review Score: 7.8 out of 10.
Replicas screens TONIGHT – Fri 17th August at 8:30pm – at Dendy Newtown as part of Possible Worlds – the Sydney Canadian Film Festival.
