Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Red Moon Tide (2020)NDNF 2020

RED MOON TIDE is a kind of existential Avant Garde horror film from Lois Patino whose Coast of Death was a highlight of the 2013 NYFF.

Diver Rubio’s boat has sunk. He has disappeared but we can still hear him. When he disappeared evil sound overcame his village leaving the people are immobile in the landscape. While they don’t move we hear their thoughts we hear their thoughts. What of an ominous rock that has appeared on the coast? Is there a monster? And what are the three witches who have appeared up to?

You’ll have to work it out for yourself as this is more mood piece than straight forward narrative. Patino is not interested in telling a “story” but in creating a head space and a mood. If you click with this film you will go into the dream realm and travel to someplace else.

Decidedly not for all tastes, Patino’s film is told in perfect single shots, some moving some static. It could be considered slow or even immobile. Some people are going to dig the mix of sound and eye popping images, while others are going to fall asleep. Patino’s earlier film Coast of Death was a similar affair and when it played the New York Film Festival it was in the Avant Garde sidebar because most audiences would probably walked out. Red Moon Tide is similar. You have to go in prepared to gorgeous images, little dialog and obtuse storytelling. There are no answers except those we chose to come up with.

I loved this film a great deal. I will be haunted by it for years to come (I have several press stills saved to my desk top)- your mileage may vary

RE MOON TIDE plays at New Directors New Films. For more information and tickets go here.

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