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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