In the push to reopen movie theaters, chains seem to have dedicated fewer screens than ever to independent and foreign films in an effort to boost profitability in the short term. It may be more work on your part to find a theater that has some more diverse offerings, but I’m heavily in favor of supporting what you like. For me, that’s a sometimes hallucinatory tale of trauma, guilt, and underground horror, set in the domineering 1980s UK, called Censor.
This was a very interesting debut feature for director and co-writer Prano Bailey-Bond. When the film first ended, I didn’t know how I felt about it. But, on the drive home, the storytelling stayed with me. It’s dark, heavy, and intense with a foreboding sense of doom that just creeps along, waiting for the moment to strike.
The screenplay, co-written by Anthony Fletcher, cleverly ties in the lead character’s childhood trauma with her job as a government censor who determines what is and isn’t acceptable for public consumption. When she’s requested specifically for one film, it opens the lid on some dormant trauma and sends her spiraling deep down the rabbit hole.
This could be a breakout performance for Niamh Algar, who does all the heavy lifting in the lead role. She also had a sizeable supporting role in Guy Ritchie’s most recent movie Wrath of Man, but this movie is basically all hers. She wears the buttoned-down piousness to great effect, but she shines in the downward spiral. Algar has a few other projects lined up right now and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of her soon.
Beyond the character’s story, there is a not-so-subtle commentary being issued about the role of censorship in a free society. Throughout the story, Bailey-Bond shows us how the desire to protect everyone from everything doesn’t work and often creates an underground realm where the biggest extremes exist. With the re-emergence of censorship across many walks of life, it’s important to recognize that approach doesn’t have faith in people.
Scary may not be the word I’d use to best describe this movie, but it’s certainly an effective portrait of psychological horror.
Recommendation: Horror aficionados should appreciate this one and it’s not the kind of movie that should scare the average crowd away.