Leigh Janiak entry in the genre is a smart gem, hear me out.
This scenario may be overused but it is special in the intention behind it. The movie is stunning, the grainy image is beautiful and every shot of the animals, the water and the sky, is meaningful. Nothing is shown for free and the dialogues are written with that same amount of intention. The huis clos feels good, has a purpose and the leading actors shine in this set up.
The movie knows how to time things subtly ; the clues pile up as the tension increases but the rhythm doesn’t get crazy. It is a slow fall, not a surprising one. The visual are getting gradually darker to illustrate the confusion of the husband and our fear for the character’s inescapable fate.
Only poverty in my opinion is the sound design. It is good but not memorable
The microchimerism induced by an alien impreg is used to speak about something so much more mundane ; the changing gaze of married couples, and future parents, here focused on the "now wife", who literally starts forgetting herself. The transformation process is quick yes, but very well played, and if you pay attention to the early and unspoken details, you'll see it happen even before the impreg. Proving that this metamorphosis is indeed a social commentary but one that is made without any kind of judgement or pointing fingers. Sometimes you don’t need to be mad because the dark silhouettes were not well explained in the ending, they were in fact, explained through the whole movie. It deserves a longer analysis and though the movie isn’t groundbreaking, it is very precious and vulnerable and is staying with me. I can’t wait to see Janiak’s next one.