Why are true masterpieces so often forgotten? I learned about the French serial film quite by accident. Thanks to the "random" button for the deeply touched experience of immersing yourself in someone else's trauma. "Beyond the Walls" is a metaphorical story of living a deep grief, in which a once living person turns himself into a canned lump of pain. Without purpose, without feeling the here and now.
What was most impressive was how the creators harmoniously combined images from Jung’s works, psychotherapeutic dreams and archetypes of the tarot system. Some episodes exactly repeated my own dreams during the period of active work. Falling back into a deep lake, underground tunnels, narrow tube-shaped passages through the void, widow figures in narrow old-fashioned dresses. Awakening underwater, self-awareness, not breathing, alive. Everything was in periods of liberation from the old reluctance to be.
There's no point in describing the plot. A brief summary is sufficient. I can say that three hours of viewing is not a waste of time, but a gift to yourself.
On the expanses of the Internet found a selection of new mystical series ... long time did not watch such a high-quality feature film with meaning, with a live game, and with such an infested plot, something reminded me of this series “Keys from the lost room”. The film with philosophical overtones, of course, the plot is mystical, but if you think about it, this is only a metaphorical retelling of the heroine’s experiences about what happened in her past ... she can not go on, the past pulls her, and then she gets the chance to meet her past, and she gets into the surreal world, where she meets a living person (he got lost, and wanders in this mystical world ... for many years), among the incomprehensible shadows of monsters ... half people, half demons ... she gets the chance to understand her mistakes, and finally the burden of guilt lets her out ...
The actress is familiar to me, but I can’t tell immediately where I saw her, she coped with her role perfectly (given that the plot is quite complex), and the faces of European actors are simpler, livelier ... there is no playfulness, artificiality ... modern pure Hollywood – this, alas, will not remove.
The plot is completed, which I think is also a big plus, since Hollywood likes to leave for later, for new franchises.
Overall impression: How do you feel about the series? Love? Then don't pass by! Are you shy about the word "serial"? No problem, this one consists of only 3 episodes! Not bad, is it?
Lisa inherits an abandoned house from an unknown benefactor. What a gift! On the first night in the house, hearing a noise from somewhere in the depths, she makes a hole in the wall to find another house behind it, consisting of endless maze rooms with strange creatures. Is it easy to get out of it? As it turns out, no! Strange creatures try to catch Lisa, but a man comes to her aid - Julien. He explains to her that if she is caught by creatures, she will die, mentioning that she has been wandering around the house for 4 years.
The series is full of allusions, until the end it is not clear where the characters are. You can bring in parallel and purgatory, and limbo, and the other world. By the way, ghosts do exist in an incomprehensible area. And the heroes have enough problems, but the goal is one – to get out of the mysterious house.
I really liked the ring of the plot: having reached the end, the viewer returns to the very beginning and there is a rethinking! It suddenly became sad, I felt in the place of the heroine, immersed in her feelings. . .
Mystical background envelops the entire entourage of the series. And if in the first series there is a rocking plot, then in the next 2 the narrative is built on a mysterious house with mazes. The film burns with riddles, filling the plot with dynamic events. And due to the small timekeeping (for the series!) looks for 1 evening.
The series suggests thoughts about time, about the past, about life in general. Built on dark tones, the movie immerses in a gloomy atmosphere, to look at how the color color resonates with the scenery is curious, you pay attention to many details.
Having decided to take an evening mini-series with a detective and mystical component, I could not even think how much I would be dragged into the almost ingenious mess created by French filmmakers.
The Belgian Verle Batens was already familiar to me, she has her own manner of playing, and her discreet appearance, coupled with bright emotions, never leaves indifferent.
“Beyond the Walls” is a dark tale of time jumping intertwined with a narrative of past wounds, unclosed gestalts, personal Ada.
The heroine passes through the Limb filled with the living dead, gradually finding herself as a woman and a person.
From the point of view of directing, this is a beautifully shot movie, full of meticulously calibrated, frightening details, filled with dull, ochre tones that create the illusion of claustrophobia, and an imperceptible musical background that creates an oppressive atmosphere of hopelessness.
But with all this, “Beyond the Walls” is not a horror movie, rather it is a sad fairy tale in the key of “Labyrinth of the Faun” del Toro and “Black Moon” by Louis Malle.
I highly recommend it.
First of all, it’s not a detective: no crime, no investigation, no detective, no doctor-Watson. Second, the low score on KoinoPoisk is surprising compared to IMDB: the film is clearly not ordinary. Thirdly, I want to spoil, because the main nuances of the series require comprehension, which is possible only with a careful, detailed consideration of the plot - and this means to deprive the future viewer of the pleasure of ignorance. So, what can be written in order to interest on the one hand, on the other - not to reveal all the secrets?
I would pay attention to the following problems, one way or another arising in the course of the development of the plot.
1. How responsible are we (?) for our misdeeds? What if there were a possibility of communication with the dead through our (partial) fault? Will it be a retribution, a retribution, a retribution for the sins of a loved one? The heroine of the film Lisa gets into a mystical house, from which it is difficult to find a way out: this is a place where you can meet already dead and disintegrated people (they turned into inhuman beings), dead - and in a state of decay. Dead, but still aware of themselves, with whom communication is possible. For Lisa, this is the younger sister who died from her misdemeanor. For Lisa Julien's companion, his friend is abandoned on the battlefield. For heroes it is important to settle (in official language) tormenting their misdeeds. But is such a solution possible?
2. Get out of the strange house. It is impossible to live long among the dead. Heroes strive to find a way out - a way to return to the ordinary world. It is important for them to understand the clues that will lead them out of Hades.
3. And another problem: Lisa and Julien can only coexist in this strange house, because in real life there is a huge time gap between them. They will have to leave each time they return. What’s more, in order to get back, Lisa has to get into this strange house, where her meeting with Julien will take place – but in the future, which is already past. This is a very interesting paradox, which the filmmakers solve elegantly and logically carefully.
Here is such a tempting mixture of problems, where there are allusions to Odysseus’ journey to Hades, and the circles of Dante’s Hell – everything that makes up the background of European culture. Well, and “walking dead”, zombies – where without them?
I looked with interest. There are reasons to ponder the paradoxes of time, morality, existence. I recommend it. If you are no longer afraid...
Not a detective, a really unusual and mysterious mystical movie
Atmospheric, dense, enveloping psychedelic mysticism stuffed with allusions and practically experimental psychological mysteries, easily taking you away from the cinematic canons. Very inspiring cinema in our era of primitive Marvel and DC Gum. I will not write about the plot, without spoilers it is impossible. I will only say that the atmosphere of anxiety from the unreality of what is happening at the level of Silent Hill’s deeply artistic understatement will definitely cause emotions.
And the ideal in my opinion, the acting simply does not leave a chance “Beyond the Walls” to avoid the maximum assessment.
10 out of 10