Earwig

Hadzihalilovic makes mysterious, uncanny films, but this viewer had great trouble identifying the significance or even the themes that were being presented in this one. Everything is very dark and gloomy, the characters barely defined, and it just seems that the compensations for accepting the lack of comprehension are too meagre. Could it be that the long delays between films aren't just about financing, but some kind of difficulty in gathering ideas and turning them into a coherent screenplay?

watchable

Fenalık geçirdim.

Enjoyed the pace and mystery, beautifully shot. I find myself thinking about what I've just seen, yet there is something that doesn't quite feel whole about it, a little like I've seen it before.

Hadzihalilovic has only made a few films, but they have all been interesting and this is no exception. It requires your attention; the beginning especially is minimalistic with hardly any dialogue and set in an apartment. When the scope gets broader, it feels like a breath of fresh air. It's beautifully shot, the score is moody and sound design is top notch. It’s perhaps a bit too introverted for my taste, but it’s definitely worth a watch and a film that benefits to be seen in a cinema.

TIFF 2021: Good to be back at the festival. Even better to watch something so uncompromisingly surreal and puzzling. Something like a brutalist Del Toro fairy tale- wonderful gothic compositions and ultra-detailed sound design accompany a story just out of reach for the viewer. A strange, primitive world I'd love to return to.