Cinema Scholars reviews Ruth Paxton’s new horror film A Banquet starring Sienna Guillory and Jessica Alexander. IFC Midnight will release A Banquet in select theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on February 18, 2022.
Introduction
It’s no secret that the cinematic medium provides artists with a podium from which they can highlight all manner of hot topics and human quandaries. From Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator to one of this year’s Best Picture nominees, Don’t Look Up, filmmakers have been using their craft as a conduit to highlight real-world issues for the better part of a century.
When people think of cinema with a topical bent, horror films are not always the first that comes to mind. However, the naturally dark genre is responsible for some of the most powerful social commentary in the entertainment world. Well-worn horror tropes used in the right context illuminate various unsavory aspects of the human condition, serving as proxies for the everyday issues people battle.
From racism, abuse, sexism, and even war, genre films often act as a conduit for deeper commentary on big issues. In Ruth Paxton’s latest psychological horror film A Banquet, a young woman’s otherworldly epiphany mirrors the devastating effects of mental health disorders and the complex dynamic between the afflicted and their loved ones.
Synopsis
Betsey is an everyday teenager trying to figure out what to do after high school graduation. While attending a party at a friend’s house, she’s mysteriously summoned to nearby woods by an unknown force. When Betsey finally emerges in a trance-like state and returned home safely, the strange episode is written off by her mother as typical teen antics.
Soon, however, Betsey’s behavior becomes anything but average. An aversion to all food (despite no weight loss), catatonic spells, and frantic talk of the world’s impending doom are causes for increasing concern.
Is Betsey telling the truth about a “darkness” that is coming to envelop all mankind? Or is she experiencing a mental break from reality? Director Ruth Paxton takes on this heart-wrenching journey of a mother’s devotion to her unhinged daughter who might be manipulating her unconditional love.
Analysis
A Banquet is a dark and moody psychological horror film that builds suspense gradually. Paxton uses extreme close-ups throughout the film that allude to a general intrusion of day-to-day intimate moments. Everyday rituals like a trip to the dentist or blending a smoothie take on new meaning when captured under the cinematic microscope.
This visual immediacy drives home the sense of personal invasion. Additionally, Paxton utilizes a purposefully gloomy visual palate that correlates with the protagonist’s insistence that a dark force is taking everything over.
The high-concept narrative also relies heavily on the perception of the viewer. Except for a few bloody noses and one gnarly nightmare sequence, Paxton keeps the horror firmly in the audiences’ head rather than the frame.
This fear of the unknown, unsettling imagery and evocative sound design keep the challenging narrative from going too far off the rails. Also holding down the fort is the score by composer CJ Mirra. Starting with more dreamy and playful cues, the music in A Banquet gradually darkens along with the subject matter.
Performances
As Betsey’s mom, Sienna Guillory (Love Actually, Eragon) captures the angst of a mother in an impossible situation. Does she commit her troubled daughter to an institution with indefinite limited access to her beloved? Or continue to care for Betsey the best way she knows how even if it compromises her own life? Guillory’s anguished portrayal shows the complexity of her character’s quandary and makes her choices almost understandable.
Jessica Alexander’s (Get Even, Glasshouse) turn as Betsey is what truly sells A Banquet’s unsettling story of mania, whether it be natural or supernatural. She gives her character a sincerity that causes the viewer to wonder if she is purposely manipulating, or if her affliction is truly to blame. Either way, her convincing portrayal keeps Betsey sympathetic even when her behavior has detrimental effects on her loved ones.
As the supposed voice of reason in A Banquet, Lindsay Duncan as Betsey’s grandmother is a breath of fresh air. Her portrait of the dubious matriarch gives the film much-needed practicality amid all the doom and gloom soothsaying. Her character’s attitude toward mental health issues is archaic, but her perspective likely matches what the audience is already thinking.
Conclusion
Throughout A Banquet, Paxton continually begs a variety of questions. How does our past trauma combined with genetic tendencies affect our reality, perception, and behaviors? When is a mom’s devotion to one child an even greater injustice to a sibling left in the traumatic wake? Are the standard modalities for treating mental health issues better than no treatment at all in some cases? Is a mother’s intuition always reliable, especially when she’s being manipulated?
To say that A Banquet is heavy is a serious understatement. Thankfully, just when the momentum starts to drag, Paxton wraps up the mysterious story in a most satisfying way. With its slow build and psychological horror, some may find the film more snoozy than stimulating. But for those cinephiles who like slow burn horror with thoughtful subtext, A Banquet is just the ticket.
IFC Midnight will release A Banquet in select theaters, on Digital Platforms and VOD on February 18, 2022.
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