Home Invader (Hangman)
Adam Mason’s Hangman earns a spot on my list for perverting the illusion of safety we hold so precious. So much of our lives are about trust and perception, which Mason offers an alternative take on. From the film’s open, our point-of-view is that of a sicko. A voyeur who breaks into a family’s home and watches their every move.
Jeremy Sisto and Kate Ashfield slumber while “Hangman” gazes, or go about chores while he watches from another room. It’s everything we hold sacred – four walls that we consider impenetrable – until you realize someone’s been backwashing in your OJ and going through your things while no one is home. That, my friends, is horror.
Doggie Dookie (Weiner-Dog)
What could pair more perfectly with Todd Solondz’s exhausting existential hopelessness? Dog poop. Loads of it. That’s what the first segment of Wiener-Dog brings, as a chocolate-colored pup is accidentally poisoned and bowels cannot be clogged. But is it enough just to reference this poor doggy’s reverse-constipation? Of course not. Solondz offers a majestic slow-mo long take of a shit-covered street, zoomed in on the dookie path left by “Wiener-Dog.” Close-up poo poo to start things off on the right foot.
Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of the movie – but if you’re curious, there’s a Wiener-Dog ballad above that hits on the film’s tone. Now take that song and crank up the hopeless despair. If that sounds great, Wiener-Dog is for you.
