Beyond the Black Rainbow is an indie mystery sci-fi thriller about a guy running a mysterious sci-fi facility in the 80s who is crazy for some mysterious reason. The facility is staffed by approximately 3 people who watch over a mysterious girl day and night because of some mysterious connection the guy has with her. As the movie progresses, the purpose of the guy and the facility are revealed in addition to why the girl is there… but not much else.
This film is incredibly challenging. It holds its mystery cards very close to its proverbial movie vest and when it decides to reveal anything about what the fuck is going on or tell us why we should give two shits, it does so very begrudgingly. It reminds me of someone attempting to reconstruct themselves from sunburnt skin peelings, to be honest; and while “true” sci-fi fans might gravitate toward its abstract ideas of mind control through machinery and otherworldly perverse utopian symbolisms, casual viewers might be turned off by its incredibly dull pace and pretentiously bizarre art direction.
I cannot recommend Beyond the Black Rainbow. The biggest problem I have with this film is that while its tense psychological moments are really well done, these moments aren’t clearly connected to what is happening anywhere else in the film very intuitively. It is too protective with the secrets it holds, opting instead to dazzle the audience with bizarre camera tricks and angles to suggest that things aren’t what they seem, or even that its story has a purpose. Why is Elana in the facility? What is her connection to the facility and its researcher(s)? Why is she so frustratingly weak and powerless even during certain times where adrenaline would be coursing through her veins, helping her resolve her terrible situation? What does she have that crazy madman scientist guy wants? What’s the deal with the scrapbook full of pictures of penises and vaginas? Why is crazy madman scientist crazy? What is the point of this movie? All these questions are answered in there somewhere, with each answer being more abstract and confounding than the last.
Give it a try if you feel up to the challenge. Then, you can come back here and tell me what the fuck just happened.
ThomFiles 