Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America

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Audience Member This movie was utterly disturbing. I didn't know the person well who recommended it and he didn't explain anything about the movie. He just said I should watch it after I mentioned how much I liked horror. He gave me no warning. So much winning and so much questioning of his sanity. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The symbolism in this movie is amazing, but it is certainly not for the faint of heart. All three at masterpieces that show what metaphorically happens to people who quit living, and submit to just accepting their unhappiness. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Sometimes there's real value in wandering around on Netflix because, had I not, I wouldn't have known about this movie. That's not to say it's the greatest thing I've ever seen (because it's so not), but it was interesting. So you've got three separate but related by theme stories here, and the one kicks off with a bang. Be prepared for some bloody stuff because, yep, it's there ... and in a pretty messed up way. Hint: If you've seen Antichrist, you'll be prepared. If you haven't, just brace yourself. It ain't pretty. The second story came across as dull and predictable for me personally; knew the ending before it happened, but that's okay as long as the story along the way is interesting. It wasn't. I kept thinking - big deal, another suburbanite freak comes out of the woodwork. Tell me something I don't already know. The third story was probably the best because it focused on a story that, as it unfolds and comes to closure, is both disturbing and very sad. Consider this movie a series of pictures that illustrate how messed up society is, because that's really what this is. A study in repression - how it messes with the human mind and emotions, and the toll it takes on everyone impacted. Definitely worth watching if you're into that sort of thing. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A trilogy of shorts on the tired theme of cyclical violence in suburbia, this is nonetheless very interesting in the way each handles it distinctly. Also, it is distinct from a great deal of low budget horror in that sincere attention and time is given to the actors expressions. There is no one-note rage or scene consuming mania on display, people who commit acts of self mutilation and violence express deeply sad loneliness and desperation. It's not purely clinical, or a strict series of character pieces. But similar plots are distinguished in various ways as they progress, the first having the most extreme violence - but only implied child abuse. The second has some superfluous narration, but benefits from a very good performance by Fessenden. It made me wish he had gotten to do the US remake of El Orfanato, given the subject matter. The third story switches protagonist gender and age, and focuses on an abusive but non-spousal past relationship. The child abuse here is again off screen, but has more impact given through the attention to acting rather than a cheap flashback. The pace and simple use of slow pans rather than close-ups on silent emotional breakdowns or mute rage were nice to see, for a change. And the restrained handling of abused kids was more disturbing than a lot of backstory or origin. Overall, I felt that the material was handled in unusual ways but with mixed success. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A wife grates her face off and her husbands castrates himself with gardening shears after he fucks his bleeding faceless wife... hmmm lovely Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member 3 pequeñas historias que narran el origen real del "zombie" norteamericano REAL Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Family Portraits: A Trilogy of America

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