Son
Director: Ivan Kavanagh
Writer: Ivan Kavanagh
Cast: Andi Matichak, Emile Hirsch, Luke David Blumm, Cranston Johnson, Blaine Maye
Part of: SLASH 1/2 Festival
Seen on: 20.6.2021
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Plot:
Laura (Andi Matichak) is the single mom of David (Luke David Blumm) and the two have built a good life with each other. But David doesn’t know that Laura is hiding from her past. But said past catches up with them one night when Laura finds intruders in David’s room. Police office Paul (Emile Hirsch) tries to talk her down. Shortly after though, David contracts a mysterious illness and nobody knows what’s wrong with him. Now Laura has to decide what she is willing to do and to face about her own past to make sure that he is okay.

Son is a well-made film with great performances that is at times a little too predictable. But definitely enjoyable.

Son develops its central idea very well, slowly building up to things. Sometimes, the build-up is a little too slow and so the audience can see what’s coming, which is sometimes a pity. The ending doesn’t quite satisfy, though – which became quickly apparent when we discussed the film afterwards – and everybody had different ideas of how it could have been improved (not saying that any of us got it right or actually had a better idea, but that we all had this urge is indicative that the ending we got doesn’t quite work).

But even if that part didn’t come together completely, it is an atmospheric film. The locations alone were absolutely excellent – but the production design in general was really great, conjuring up a creepy and unsettling mood.

The performances were really great, too. The central trio – Matichak, Hirsch and Blumm – worked really well together, with Matichak bearing the brunt of the film and doing a great job with her demanding role. But Hirsch and Blumm are good, too, no question about it.

Overall the film really shows how far Kavanagh has come as a filmmaker since The Canal, even though not that much time has passed. I enjoyed Son for sure, despite not everything working out quite as intended.

Summarizing: good.