Dark comedy “The Uncle” feels a bit like what would result if Yorgos Lanthimos and Michael Haneke teamed up to make the world’s most disconcerting Christmas movie. This highly disturbing (and equally absurd) horror comedy is quite the debut feature from Croatian filmmakers David Kapac and Andrija Mardešić, who have created a word where “Funny Games,” “Dogtooth,” and “Groundhog Day” collide, with a squirm level that is off the charts.
Set in Yugoslavia in the late 1980s (or is it?), the film tells the story of a family who welcomes their beloved uncle (Predrag ‘Miki’ Manojlovic) home for the holidays. He’s been in Germany and has returned, eager to capture all of the joyous festivities with his video camera. It starts with a very awkward yuletide dinner that builds to a weirdly disturbing evening, leading the family to breathe a collective sign of relief when their uncle finally leaves. A few days pass, and he shows up again as they repeat the exact same Christmas celebration, which signals that something very, very strange is going on.
The thematic elements of the film are nothing short of brilliant, with its powerful story of authority, social status, abuse (mental, emotional, and physical), control, and revenge. There’s a lot bubbling beneath the surface, and setting the film during the holidays ramps up the tension. As families are often bombarded with marketing that tells them how they must behave during the Christmas season, the story plays off the overall anxiety of achieving perfection while spending time with your family during the holidays. Here, the uncle demands perfection, and the family strives to give it at any cost.
Kapac and Mardešić (who also co-wrote the film) toy with the audience by using a nontraditional narrative structure. If you pay attention, you’ll start to notice strange glitches that blend vintage elements with modern ones. All of this is designed to foster doubt and confusion, which can feel frustrating at times. Just remember that this is a psychological horror story that requires a great deal of patience from the audience. The payoff is absolutely there, but you need stamina to get to the finish line.
The very nature of the plot is based on repetition, and the film slows midway through as the same events continue to happen over and over. Kapac and Mardešić keep things intriguing to a point, especially as small cracks begin to appear that give clues as to what is really going on in this house.
To reveal much more would be offering serious spoilers, but suffice it to say that “The Uncle” is the type of movie where it’s best going in knowing as little as possible. If you like to be challenged while also dropping your jaw in shock, this strange movie will be right up your alley.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 