Review of Creatures

A fiery hybrid of contemporary dance, courtesy of English National Ballet and the understated direction of Asif Kapadia. Creature It is a propulsive and sad drama. The plot remains loose, but with Frankenstein and Georg Buchner Woyzeck Cited as influences, there are strong themes of otherness and the dark nature of humanity running through it all.

Our naturally anxious protagonist, Creature, is a man, at least on the surface, whose desperation to belong leads him down a twisted and tortuous path. However, Jeffrey Cirio’s movements infuse the performance with qualities that are both childlike and animalistic; in a stolen moment alone with his love, Marie, leaps with playful exuberance as part of an intimate game, his broom and bucket joining in the act. In the hands of the evil scientist, he takes on a bestial quality, as his wit and will to please are crushed by a cruel master.

The setting, in contrast to the research station’s austere interior, is new territory for Kapadia. The documentary filmmaker has already set his sights on former public figures, from Amy Winehouse to Diego Maradona, retrospectively delving into their legacy. His sense of storytelling, even when it’s as light as Creature‘s, gives a dynamic but simple direction, the kind that keep the film’s attention glued to the tight and vigorous choreography. Cinematography by Daniel Landin, who worked sinister and magical wonders in Jonathan Glazer’s film. Under the skin – is muted and filled with industrial grays that fuel the film’s oppressive motif. However, Creature engages in his last act; A timeless and streamlined tale of humanity’s worst impulses, amplified with continuous motion and captured with an empathic eye in a thrilling new adventure from its director.