Five capsule reviews from the Seattle International Film Festival: 40 Acres, Chain Reactions, Viktor, By Design, and Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass.
40 Acres (d. R. T. Thorne)
In a famine-ravaged future, a family group fends off scavengers and cannibals in this exciting siege thriller. Danielle Deadwyler is entrancing, with her exceptionally expressive face, as the tough matron, with a bevy of other solid performances surrounding her. There is real chemistry, selling how well the group works together with brutal efficiency. This and the astounding cinematography engage past familiar story beats. Additionally, it’s refreshing to have a BIPOC group in a post-apocalypse scenario.
Sanatorium Under The Sign of the Hourglass (d. Quay Bothers)
Twenty years after their last feature, the stop-motion impresarios return with an adaptation of Polish author Bruno Schulz. Fans of the brothers’ work will be pleased with a new ethereal, nightmarish journey into the psyche. Their trademark underlit handmade style pervades as a man looks for his father in a hospital that might be unstuck from time. Expect more feelings of themes over direct plotting with their beautiful, unknowable storytelling. I recommend the surreal tale.
Chain Reactions (d. Alexandre O. Phillip)
Phillipe gathered a panel of experts to delve into the cultural impact of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Not a making of, but a fascinating look at how it affects us and film. Never thought I’d connect Leatherface to Picnic at Hanging Rock. Each chapter (focused on various folks such as Patton Oswald and Stephen King) of this superbly edited documentary explores the public zeitgeist. The insights are eye-opening, twisting the oft-discussed film in new ways.
Viktor (d.Oliver Sarbil)
Viktor is an intriguing narrative-documentary of the start of the Ukraine War. Viktor is a deaf photographer who wants to be in the war effort. His life is followed as he gets set up to help. Filmed in an engaging, matter-of-fact manner that could be assumed to be a narrative film. Viktor himself is fascinating, huge and bulky, filled with interest and heart. An alternate take on boots on the ground, Viktor gives a unique perspective on life in wartime.
By Design (d. Amanda Kramer)
This delicious blend of fetish, fashion, and obsession is a festival favorite. Juliette Lewis is a lost woman who finds herself when she transfers her soul into a chair. It IS a gorgeous chair. She/it becomes the focus of many, including Udo Kier, as they attach their desires to it. Captivating and hilarious, wonderfully absurd. Great to see Gretchen Moll and Robin Tunney as friends who place their insecurities on Lewis’s empty body. 
All films are presented through the Seattle International Film Festival, running in-person screenings May 15th – 25th and selected online screenings March 26th – June 1st. See Siff.net/festival for more.