Movie Review : Proxy (2013)

Proxy is weird, unnerving and satisfying

Director : Zack Parker
Starring : Alexia Rasmussen, Alexa Havins, Kristina Klebe, Joe Swanberg
Studio : Zack Parker Production company, Along The Tracks, FSC Productions
Distributed by : IFC Midnight
Release Date : September 10, 2013 (Toronto International Film Festival)


Plot :  A pregnant young woman who joins a support group after she miscarries due to a vicious attack. She became friends with another woman who lost her child and soon, their darkest secrets unravel and their sickest motives are revealed.







A cool concept
The film starts off really cool. The opening scene itself featuring the protagonist Esther (Rasmussen) being beaten to death in an alley, causing her miscarriage. That scene alone was just nerve-wracking to watch. I was literally covering up my eyes and turning away from the screen while watching this scene. It's just so realistic and brutal. But it sets the bar for the remaining of the film, which unfortunately was not maintained all throughout.

The film starts off really good, with the death of Esther's baby as the source of background for her character. She meets and befriends Melanie Michaels (Alexa Havins) in the support group, a woman who claims her husband and child were killed by a drunk driver. But then, she saw her one day kidnapping a young boy. This really got me interested a lot. I got curious at what's gonna happen between the two of them.
But then, things get confusing with one revelation after another. And after the movie shifts perspective from one character to another, it's just so hard to follow anymore. I almost got lost along the way.


Weird. Really weird.
After the change of perspective from one character to another, the film just gets weirder and weirder. You discover that Esther is somewhat lesbian- she has sex with another woman, Anika Barön (Kristina Klebe) who performed the attack at Esther's request. Then, we see her doing it with two random guys she met in a bar. Then, she professes her love for Melanie (Havins). She gets rebuffed, and so she kills the new son of Melanie and her husband. Her husband kills her. After this, Anika hunts the couple for what they did to her lover.
It's just so crazy. I really don't know where this was going. But I kinda liked it. I like it's craziness and all. It just feel so weird watching everything that's happening on screen.


The only problem...
Like what I've said, the film starts off really good. The opening scene alone set up the bar for the remaining of the film. The problem is it wasn't maintained for the entirety of the film's duration.
Right at the half of it, after Esther is already killed and the story switches perspective, the story starts to drag. The pacing becomes so slow and there were parts that were really boring. Like nothing's really happening.
But at the last past of the film, things started to get good again. The tension mounts as secrets are revealed. Then, there's Anika getting back on the couple who killed her lover. Everything gets crazier, but in a good way.


The hell-of-an-ending
After it's slow pacing during its remaining half, the film ends up really satisfying. The ending scene alone, which turns out to be just an illusion (you'll understand it when you watch the film) was just really cool.
It's one of the best things about this film, if you ask me. I was just astounded.


Overall

I liked this film though, despite a big chunk of the film dragging a bit. The concept is cool, though it feels weird and unsettling along the way. But the opening scene and the finale alone are already
enough reasons to watch the film.
This film is just disturbing and completely bizarre to anyone whose not accustomed to these kinds of movies. I'm telling you - it's a total mindfuck!



I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars.






Proxy by teasertrailer