Prevenge
Director: Alice Lowe
Talent: Jo Hartley, Gemma Whelan, Kate Dickie, Alice Lowe
Released: 10th February
Ruth (Lowe) is pregnant with the child of her deceased partner. We find out that a rock climbing trip went wrong, resulting in his cord being cut by other climbers. As ordered by the foetus, speaking in a tinny, Snapchat-filtered voice, Ruth sets about slaughtering those who were involved in her partner’s death and other people she has selected as deserving of death.
The existential dread of giving birth and the associated loss of bodily autonomy she experiences are interestingly addressed, as are the pressures laid upon her by the public health system. However, these are not interesting enough to overcome just how weird and nonsensical this film is or really to make it enjoyable. Prevenge also tries to be funny, and is on maybe two occasions, but this is mostly just too bizarre.
Words – Sarah Taaffe-Maguire
