This is explored in a fresh and interesting way on a film set, not unlike a Mamet play ( State and Main) Ironically strange things begin to happen too, coffee spills repeat in an artificial slapstick way, mundane things feel meaningful in this context, new relationships are shown. This horror tension is replaced by a blackly comic exploration of the minutiae of this new dynamic. The scope of what is happening in the second part changes how the film is, genre and otherwise. Here they are presented as members of cast and crew actors uniquely interrelated in a way that is hard to explain without spoiling. While the first part used its tense buildup to express a complex breakdown of a relationship, the second part presents an entirely different viewpoint of these three characters. Suddenly we are back at the introduction, this time for part two. Part two is about to begin, as things escalate to where we think it is going to. The build-up of dread and anxiety is palpable, but there is something lurking under the surface, or above it, the rustling in the leaves, the sound of a bear. This leads to an elongated argumentative debate about progressive values and ultimately self-confessed nihilism from Gabe who is deeply unhappy. Blair is drunk, but is pregnant and should not be drinking, she is intentionally confrontational and difficult. There is an instantly fascinating dynamic to these wooden characters something seems wrong, out of place, not quite reality.
Allison needs inspiration for her next film, but is instead faced with a jealous disdain that seems to spiral out of control as the evening progresses, much like an Alex Ross Perry ( Queen of Earth) film. Blair is pregnant, but Gabe is hitting it off with Allison, she is renting a room in his mother’s forest property-turned writers retreat. Passive aggressive quips exchanged between partner duo Blair (Sarah Gadon) and Gabe (Christopher Abbott) makes Allison (and us) feel uncomfortable, and awkward. Part one is an encroaching of repressive fears explored as inebriated conversation turned interrogation. Black Bear is designed to discomfort and not please the viewer, it is framed in such a way as to never know the whole story. It is a critique of the wave of heady psychological lower budget films that wow with cleverness. Black Bear challenges conventional notions of narrative framing and thematic structure, initially utilising indie film psychological thriller-drama tropes yet completely upending them. The aforementioned title card structure will become a very important thing to ponder, it is perhaps the key to understanding, along with the sounds and sight of a black bear which are both intentionally distinct. The film concludes with credits, but did it ever begin?īlack Bear could be a Lynchian nightmare (think, Mulholland Drive), reality cannot be properly distinguished. Different things happen, however the same people now play different roles. Later another title card, the same lake scene before it, suddenly Part Two. Tandem Pictures, Oakhurst Entertainment, Blue Creek Pictures, Productivity Media, Momentum Pictures, Radiant Films InternationalBlack Bear could be a Hitchcock inspired-indie thriller that opens with actor-director-writer Allison (Aubrey Plaza), collecting her towel from a lake’s small dock, making her way inside a cabin where she sits, notebook and pen at the ready a title card reads Part one. R for language throughout, sexual content, drug use and some nudity. March 5th, 2021 (Limited) ( United Kingdom) At a remote lake house, a filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in the pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention.ĭecember 4th, 2020 (Limited) by Momentum Pictures
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