Vesper (2022)
An engaging slowburn post-apocalyptic fairytale with a reserved use of Cronenbergian bio-nastiness mixed in with the bleakness of The Road.
The world building is pretty on point in this French dystopian film as they establish a future where humanity's genetic tampering engineered viruses and creatures that eventually escaped into the wild. With most wildlife, vegetation, and the majority of humanity replaced with gooey fungal colonies and uninhabitable landscapes, the remnants of society set up oligarchies called Citadels. The story follows a 14-year-old who lives in the wilderness with her father as she scrounges up whatever she can to keep them alive.
Lead actress Raffiella Chapman carries the film well on her shoulders, supported by a great cast that includes Richard Brake (this time not playing a horrible serial killer or monster) and Eddie Marsan (who is not a gangster like usual but still plays a monster).
The major highlight for the film though is the visual strength of the cinematography, set design, and creature/flora/tech design. Everything has an oppressive dampness and sense of dilapidation that feels like there's black mold and spores everywhere ready to consume you. Random bits of plants and walls pulsate subtly, and there's just enough to make you curious and wanting more. Where most movies would reveal some horrible CG laden monstrosity to turn the tide of a scene, this movie chooses to just warn you to avoid the red grass because the smallest things are often the most lethal.
Definitely worth checking out if you want a different type of post-apocalyptic fiction with a respect for a more quiet approach to storytelling and the slightest twinge of hope.
7/10
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