Review: Evolution

On an island full of sickly looking women, there are boys. Boys who don't believe the women are their mothers. Boys who keep being told they are sick. Boys who disappear. One of these boys, Nicolas, refuses the things he is being told and begins a journey to discover the truth. Lucile Hadžihalilović's new Evolution is a horror movie and a coming of age film that feels completely alien.

Nicolas learns about the truths of his situation in increments, and so do we. One of the most powerful things about Evolution is the atmosphere it creates. The island looks alien, particularly in the way the film is shot. The film opens and returns often to images of the sea, particularly of kelp and coral moving with the tide. Hadžihalilović keeps the focus on how human Nicolas is in comparison to his creepy captor and yet we are still kept from a distance. This is because for most of Evolution, we know the danger Nicolas is in before he does. Even though he is our surrogate for this strange world, we see things he cannot. For instance, the women routinely watch medical footage of Cesarean births. 

The film's tension and growing fear comes from the fact we know Nicolas is aware that something is off. He eats the worm-like gruel he is fed but with reservation. He never trusts his "mother" nor seeks her affection. It isn't until he meets a nurse named Stella that he begins to try to trust something in his life. This proves to be a mistake for young Nicolas.

The young actor Max Brebant who plays Nicolas does a wonderful job conveying distrust in body language rather than dialogue. The real star of the film however is Hadžihalilović's direction. The film is so confident in its tone and mood. I cannot think of another horror film that Evolution directly pulls from. The film feels very unique both in its dreadful atmosphere and in its concept. The plot when removed from the excellent direction could be very silly. In Hadžihalilović's hand however, it becomes art. 

Evolution is a film that haunted me more in the hours after watching it than while watching it. The film is grotesque and beautiful, haunting and cold. Yet something about the story still managed to resonate on an emotional level. Themes of adolescence, maternal love and paranoia mix together into an unforgettable film.

4/5