A very special aspect of expeditions to the Arctic Circle in the 1800s is the adventure into the unknown. Multiple explorers ventured there, and the stories of their woes that emerged from these expeditions sparked the social imagination, in part because, from these unknown territories, we can tap into the supernatural or fantastic potential. With The Hyperborean, director Jesse Thomas Cook reinterprets such tales to extract a supernatural mythology based on the voyage of the ship HMS Investigator in 1853.
In a delightful animated opening, the filmmaker lays the foundations for what will cross the path of Hollis Cameron (Tony Burgess) and his family in modern day. Hollis, a cold and ruthless businessman, gathers his children to announce his final financial project: the commercial exploitation of the whisky contained in the 170-year-old barrels recovered from the HMS Investigator in the far north. Hollis’s children are stereotypical failed pseudo-businessmen. There’s Rex (Ry Barrett) and his influential girlfriend, Lovie (Jessica Vano), who pretend to be ranchers. Meanwhile, Aldous (Jonathan Craig) plays the hipster whisky bar manager. His daughter Diana (Liv Collins) might be the most socially adjusted of the bunch. Unfortunately, the trip is ill-fated from the start with storms and whatnot. But as they get closer to the HMS Investigator something supernatural appears to have boarded the ship.
“…as they get closer to the HMS Investigator something supernatural appears to have boarded…”
The screenplay cleverly juggles between interrogations of the children after the fact and a fateful evening during the voyage. The Hyperborean quickly lays its cards on the table when it comes to the ending: we soon know that Hollis, Ian (Michael Masurkevitch), and Hollis’s assistant, Fontano (Justin Darmanin), meet a tragic fate. Screenwriter Tony Burgess, from a story by Cook and Collins, carefully injects the characters’ jealousies, financial situations, and other elements linked to the HMS Investigator throughout the voyage. Working their way to the edge of confusion, the filmmakers effectively manage to keep the characters and story evolving at the same time, without ever forgetting the supernatural lurking in the background.
Visually, the film is quite polished, with particular attention to composition and lighting. Without ever getting lost in complicated camera movements, Cook and director of photography Kenny MacLaughlin always place the camera where it perfectly serves its purpose, whether comic, dramatic, or narrative. Somewhat unintentionally, the director develops an almost documentary style with the framing and editing, making these events seem all the more real despite their fantastical nature. The same can be said of the special effects and make-up, which prove to be effective. Cook and his team made the right choice to give the creature an air of mystery by plunging it into darkness, showing only the necessary and striking aspects.
Although The Hyperborean encounters a few long stretches along the way, these are the necessary building blocks to turn unlikable characters into endearing ones by the end. The interplay between Diana and her interrogator especially brings the character arcs to light. Various genres, such as mystery, horror, and comedy, intersect over the course of 94 minutes to keep our attention. Cook gives his story enough underlying substance to make it a fun and intriguing adventure.
"…a fun and intriguing adventure."
