From this perspective, déjà vu is proposed to arise from a loss of synchronicity between the brain’s hemispheres, while some propose a simultaneous double perception. Diverse theories are highlighted, such as “mental diplopia,” where the brain splits in déjà vu. Research reviewing the existing knowledge regarding déjà vu from the Journal of Neurology introduces us to a myriad of psychological theories. As we unravel the enigma of déjà vu, it becomes clear that this phenomenon is not just a quirk of memory, but a gateway to deeper questions about the nature of perception and the mysteries that lie within the recesses of our consciousness. While the act of watching in some sense mirrors Ariane and her lack of agency, the inclusion of the camcorder at the end is also a cheeky provocation from LeMoyne, implicating the viewer for finding pleasure in her terror.Ī slightly older film, playing festivals such as REGARD in 2018, LeMoyne is back on the festival circuit with his latest short, Nude, which premiered at Sitges in October and is currently working a feature script which he recently presented at the FNC pitch talent lab in Montreal.The study’s insights illuminate the elusive nature of déjà vu, prompting us to ponder the intricacies of the brain’s ability to conjure a sense of familiarity that defies conventional explanations. The result is a film that produces immediate affection for its lead and, similarly to said character, pushes the audience through a nightmare scenario where one’s grasp on reality slips as they barrel towards a horrible fate. LeMoyne’s intention with the project was to make a very simple short film that is carried by its actors and its dialogue and where the horror is told through a character’s reaction to the events rather than showing them, and Castellanos’s performance, as well as the plot’s utilization of dream-logic, sells the heightened surreality necessary to make that effective. In what is a masterclass of face-acting, Castellanos bounces between cheery excitement and fear with only minor changes in intonation and expression. However, it is the film’s lead, Ariane Castellanos, who supplies the heavy lifting. “I rehearsed thoroughly with the actors, and we ended up making the film in a single day while doing very few takes of each shot” – director Olivier Labonté LeMoyne on his production Additionally, the script seamlessly shifts from the thrill of sexual conquest to the fear of sexual violence, anchoring the growing dread in something all too recognizably horrific. Writer/director Olivier Labonté LeMoyne and his DP, Ménad Kesraoui, subtly manipulate the scene to lend to the unease with slow camera pushes, up-angle shot reverse shots, and well-timed head-on closeups. But, when an all-too-familiar stranger enters the restaurant, her recounting shifts to that of a nightmare. Simply set up as a two-hander in a diner, a woman begins by recounting a fantasy encounter to her friend. “Unsettling” is participatory, it invites audiences to lean into the story’s skewing from reality as a storyteller manipulates unease into the more potent “dread”.Īs you might guess, today’s featured selection, Déjà vu, leverages “unsettling” as well as any short in recent memory. Scares are less effective to me if I cannot recognize a sort of mundane truth to the characters or setup, and, as with Hitchcock’s famous “bomb under the table”, I prefer suspense over surprise. As I endeavor now, late in life, to better understand and appreciate the horror genre and analyze what I respond to within it, I gravitate to the word and its ability to subtly estrange the audience from the ordinary. Not as visceral as “shock” or hyperbolic as “terror”, and certainly not as versatile as “fright”, yet perhaps more effective than each. I propose that “unsettling” is an under-appreciated horror word.
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