AFI FEST film review: 'Wander Darkly'
If 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotlight' existed entirely within infinity after a deadly accident, it would be the bittersweet, surreal and bold drama 'Wander Darkly' (screening at AFI FEST 2020).
In short: New parents Adrienne and Matteo (Sienna Miller and Diego Luna) are forced to reckon with trauma amidst their troubled relationship. They must revisit the memories of their past and unravel haunting truths in order to face their uncertain future. Also stars Vanessa Bayer, Beth Grant and Aimee Carrero.
It's worth knowing, before going into this film, just how 'Darkly' blurs the expectations of space and time. Except for the film's opening scenes, 'Darkly' defies every convention of typical narrative structure. This intoxicating indie takes bold risks to tell a love story, with all its imperfections and struggles, in a way a traditional drama could not. The film is steeped in the dread of unfinished business, while reluctantly leaning into the idea that there would simply never be enough time - even with a thousand lifetimes.
Entire movies have been defined by their characters inability to embrace the truth or speak the honestly, whereas 'Darkly' lays bare emotional truths usually unspoken. Although the premise is extreme high concept, the film itself is fundamentally grounded in common insecurities and betrayals. This film's smartest move was spending its opening moments tangibly defining Adrienne and Matteo's fractured relationship. It's the only sure footing the audience ever gets - yet these few minutes of certainty reveal so much about them as individuals and them as an unwed couple.
While the bulk of 'Darkly' spends its creativity on fearless concepts and emotional honest, the third act makes a disappointing choice to divert from bold storytelling to staid conventions. For all of the films complex ideas about sincere love and intentional relationships, 'Darkly' elects for a resolution that is unsatisfying and simple. This simplicity infects the narrative structure before also eroding the complex themes, distilling a layered tapestry of sentiment to just a few life-affirming but unfulfilling concepts. The frustration of 'Darkly' is just how close it was to becoming a beloved heady drama that endures rather than just another promising film that stumbled to the finish line.
Final verdict: This wildly ambitious film is just one or two narrative missteps that reduce an exciting rumination on love, relationships and death ... into something disappointingly uncomplex.
Score: 3.5/5
'Wander Darkly' screens at AFI FEST and releases on Dec. 11. This drama is rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity and has a running time of 97 minutes.
