Abuse and mental illness is something you will often find in horror movies. This is such a smart way. This gives an opportunity to the victims and the audience to understand what they face on the daily basis. There is a new independent feature film available on Amazon Prime which deals with such topics but in a quite interesting fashion. Nicole Nigalia who is an actress and producer makes her debut with the film Zarina. In Porcelain, Elise is forced to go back to her childhood home where her estranged father has died and she has to do the estate together with her boyfriend. However, the brief return home suddenly transforms into something more unsettling for Elise as she comes to believe that there are other more sinister things in the house. And soon she finds herself unable to distinguish what was a nightmare and what was real.
Every twist is included in the plot, so you start with quite a feeling of excitement towards the middle of the plot. It has thoughtful details about how fluttered yet vulnerable Elise would be as she constantly came across morbid trinkets throughout the house, such as her childhood toys. I was fond of the tense mood that is apparent whenever the scenes are located indoors. The core elements are there including the home with all its history, the emotional abuse inflicted on Elise with the body of the house reflecting the scars on her soul. The film has minimal special effects, apart from standard Tremors series. The perspective shots by Trejo were well utilized creatively, so there is something to make the viewers feel uneasy. Although the dolls do not walk or murder anyone chucky, they certainly elevate the terror of the story. The film is narrated in a very serious tone and the seriousness it deserves.
Nigalia shies away from being typecast as just a camera owner, she features as Elise. And she gives quite an emotionally driven performance, which I guess was not easy to achieve while directing as well. She alternates between being emotionally distant towards her lover, being overly attached, and feeling distressed by some forces present in the house. When insecurities about Elise’s past begin to unravel, she starts to evoke the deepest sympathy. Likewise, her boyfriend Caleb who is acted out by Hunter Johnson deserves some sympathy. When we first come across him he is a bit over jealous and comes off as slightly possessive. But as the story progresses, his affection for Elise prevails. He has to face dilemmas of his own like whether to bear with the woman he loves who has mental illness or just leave her high and dry. All of that comes through thanks to Johnson’s performance.
What struck me in particular is how the issue of mental illness caused by trauma is depicted in this work. Such issues can at times be either downplayed or exaggerated to the extent that it borders on absurdity. Porcelain addresses it just right. One empathizes with the patient’s plight, explains their deviant behavior and empathizes for those who want to help the victim but instead are repeatedly turned down. Looking back at events from my past, I connected with both of them on a number of aspects, which made it painful to see the experiences of Elise in some moments.
Yes, the film explores deep character arcs and is slow burn horror which does not include too many jump scares. Yes, the plot also contains negative paranormal forces but they aren’t as frightening as Elise’s breakdowns probably in part because many readers might watch with the knowledge of having gone through something similar. Not all horror fans will find this appealing but for those who do appreciate the solid psychological dramahorror, then most definitely Porcelain is a must watch.
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