Country: USA
Review: Shane Carruth is the man behind “Upstream Color”, a haunting film that challenges our senses, provoking us with the way it was conceived. In addition to being screenwriter, director, actor, and producer, Carruth was also responsible for the music, cinematography and editing, making a superb job in all of these aspects. Technically outstanding, this new arthouse gem kept me completely immersed in its imagery and story, reminding me the chilling moments of some David Lynch’s works but with a more objective guideline in the plot, or Guy Maddin’s wandering narratives without the saturated colors on the image. Actually, the image here is very clean and absorbing, working in perfection with the distorted sounds of nature. The plot uncovers a vicious and criminal life-cycle, created to control the body and mind, where animals, plants, water, and human beings, interact in an inventive way. Don’t expect an easy watching or quick answers, since its structure will force you to search for them among a variety of obscure occurrences, strange connections, and atmospheric anxieties. “Upstream Color” is a completely different thriller, made with boldness and creativity, and whose hypnotic ambience sticks in our mind like a delirious dream. Carruth shows imagination, promising to be the next brainteaser creator of independent American cinema.
