Paralysis - Movie Review

 

Paralysis

Movie Review

 

Allison Lobel and Lisagaye Tomlinson in the lead roles, the movie Paralysis is written and directed by Levi Austin Morris. It has music by David Kaiser, cinematography by Emerson Gregory, and Levi Austin Morris, and editing by Levi himself.

After a family trauma, Haley Stone, played by Allison Lobel, isolates herself from everyone except her brother, Nicky, played by Levi Austin Morris. But alongside her complicated grief and deteriorating emotional well-being, Haley experiences hallucinations, vivid nightmares, and debilitating episodes of sleep paralysis. These episodes took on greater significance when Haley saw the wounds on her body. She suspects that the entity who visits her at night is not a figment of her imagination. With the help of a paranormal investigator, Haley must reach the truth buried among the realities and free herself from this living nightmare.

Of course, she can't be blamed for putting some people off when she answers a call from her mother, played by Ann Kathleen Jensen, all women screaming and guilt trips. Her mother may have a point, but her condition isn't getting better, it's getting worse. Her dreams of a demonic figure become more intense and the line between nightmare and reality blurs. Convinced that the present is not just a dream, she is haunted by a paranormal investigator named Anissa, played by Lisagaye Tomlinson.

Paralysis is Morris's film, and in addition to playing Nicky, he also wrote, directed, edited and did the cinematography. It's clear from the start that he had something in mind that wasn't just another typical Dreamtime boogeyman horror movie and beyond, although it does have a lot in common with Come True.

Morris is interested in the mental health aspects of the first half hour, focusing on what happens with the stroke and what Haley and her brothers experience, and how it affects their lives. At first, we can't see the connection, but about halfway through there's a revelation that sets things up.

Once the film reaches that point the pace starts to pick up, but the paralysis never becomes more than what you'd call mild burnout. It's done quite deliberately, scaring with flashbacks. They and the nightmare sequences work very smoothly in the film. While that's a good thing with the scary scenes, it can be a bit distracting with flashbacks until you figure out what's going on.

On a technical level, paralysis is remarkable for its shot on an iPhone. Obviously, it didn't allow for elaborate effects, but the film benefits greatly from some basic makeup, white contact lenses, and sound effects. This is a great example of what you can achieve with creativity and talent.

Much of that creativity is put to use in the final act when Haley must confront the literal and figurative demons that haunt her. As well as figures from both her and Annisa’s past there is a male figure with what looks like a carnival mask covering his face who looks particularly ominous. Other characters need to look uncomfortable without losing their humanity, and Alexandra Bayless's makeup effects do this well.

With only three main characters and a few voices on the telephone, much of the film's success rests on the performances, especially Lobel's, who is alone on screen. She is utterly convincing as a woman trapped in a multi-layered nightmare. Morris is solid as his brother, and Tomlinson keeps his psychic investigator/demonic character grounded and believable.

The main problem with Paralysis is that some scenes could have used a little trimming. For example, a scene near the opening has several shots of Haley clutching her head and screaming. Other scenes where the characters are walking take longer than necessary and slow down the pace. A minor complaint in an otherwise impressive film, all things considered.

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