A brother and sister with plenty of demons between them have a stalker. As they work together, they try to get rid of this being.
Written and directed by Perry Blackshear, this is a downer of a film in the most powerful way. This is not a happy-go-lucky sibling love or familial triumph type of film. This is a harrowing take on demons and the damage they do, literal and figurative. The writing here knows where it’s going while not necessarily letting the viewer in at the start. There is a point to it all and it can all be taken at first impression or it can be dug into to find something much more rewarding. On the surface, this looks like a revenge film on a small scale, but as the story advances it becomes clear it much more than that. The story here is strong and works its way into the mind of the viewer slowly until it reaches it culmination. The directing is on point, strong while letting the cast really embody their characters.
Here the cast is fairly small with most of the scenes containing either Libby Ewing or Even Dumouchel or both. Their familial chemistry works and it’s never a question who they are to each other. Their work is strong and brings their characters to the screen in an almost quiet manner at first, slowly bringing up the intensity as the film advances. Dumouchel gets a particularly strained arc that works and creates something for the viewer to follow as he seems to go through the motions of suffering and figuring out how to go on. His performance anchors the films.
The film’s look here is from cinematography by Perry Blackshear, director and writer and so much more here, who has a clear vision of things and goes for it. Yes, the film is quite dark, but it’s not difficult to see what is going on, there is no lack of connection with the leads due to lack of light. The lighting and framing are clearly deliberate, showing what needs to be seen, focusing on the main parts of any situation, and not feeding unnecessarily grandiose imagery to the viewer. This is an uncomfortable film and it is made to be this way quite purposefully. The images, the light, the framing, the editing, it all comes together to create a focused and cohesive film.
The visual effects here are decent, without spoiling anything, they come mostly toward the last third of the film. There is something about them that kind of takes the story out of itself at times and that may not be quite the right way. The visual effects are fairly minimal when it comes to it, but it still feels a bit intrusive and it cuts the atmosphere for the few scenes it is in.
A tale of helplessness and attempts at survival against all odds, When I Consume You is a perfectly depressing film that hits all the marks it needs to be as effective as possible in bringing the viewer into the film and making them feel for the leads and with them. The film boasts stronger performances from leads Libby Ewing and Evan Dumouchel with some dark images that are more than fitting and just about perfect for the story. This is the kind of film that grabs you and pulls you down into the spiral its characters are trying to get out of. It’s one that leaves you feeling for them and with them.