2019 Movie
Dir. Carlo Mirabella-Davis · France, United States France · English
This unsettling feminist thriller that will catch in your throat
The disturbing conceit of a housewife swallowing inanimate objects may push some away, but those that can stomach it will find a searing exploration of patriarchal control over women’s bodies – an issue more relevant than ever in the US, as anti-choice zealots push closer to overturning abortion rights nationwide.
An odd twist towards the end, and a tone-deaf bit about a Syrian refugee, make the film uneven. But, the edge of the seat suspense, sumptuously colorful cinematography, and Haley Bennet’s resonant performance make this worth seeing nonetheless.
Hunter, a newly pregnant housewife, finds herself increasingly compelled to consume dangerous objects. As her husband and his family tighten their control over her life, she must confront the dark secret behind her new obsession.
"It takes place in a landscape that's largely internal - but that's territory that can be just as filled with darkness and dread as a forbidding mansion."
— Alison Willmore
"writer-director Carlo Mirabella-Davis also depicts Hunter as a young woman gradually regaining her sense of autonomy and control over her own body and destiny in circumstances where both she and her choices are repeatedly ignored."
— Anton Bitel
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