Falling Stars

It’s possible the budget renders Falling Stars to be “impressive, but deficient.” This isn’t your regular studio blockbuster. Produced with limited means and resources with personnel procured from several different parts of the world. Keeping that in mind, some technical areas leave a commendable impression. Without using any special effects, Karpala and Bienczycki have created an atmosphere that resonates well. The barren desert works for the apocalyptic setting. The sound recording becomes a massive asset to the ambiguity and curiosity of the goings-on. Close-up shots add to the haunting claustrophobia. Furthermore, shooting at night on a tight budget speaks to the filmmakers’ technical skills.

The film plays on thematic storytelling and implicit plot details. Hence, a lot is left to interpret. There are talks of exhausting harvests and people’s disappearances in light of the witches’ descent, perhaps referencing an impending apocalypse and destruction. All this resonates with modern-day global sustainability and war-related concerns. Do the Wiccan inspirations manifest this mystique anomaly as a reflection of real-world threats? Maybe. It’s a good thought to express, but it’s too much to infer from what you see. It’s fascinating to have viewers engaged in various interpretations, but Falling Stars cannot balance the two. A deeper dive into the mystical elements, which are briefly addressed, would probably have had the audience find enough on-screen material to connect the dots with the ideas.

“…builds up the proper curiosity and ambiguity.”

But Leech, Gabriel, and Duke Jr. are a great presence. And the score matches well with the eerie and unearthly aura that traps the three brothers around. This may not be the best horror-thriller, but it does deserve to be applauded for the things it got right, especially the story, narrative, and sound.

Karpala and Bienczycki have indeed put up an excellent showcase of their writing and thematic talents. Falling Stars builds up the proper curiosity and ambiguity. The idea of having a low-budget but high-concept horror folklore feature is truly intriguing. But when put up on-screen, it doesn’t bode well. The film cannot fully transplant its on-paper traits and characteristics through the lens. The cinematography is shaky, and camera moves are hard to follow properly. All this lessens the intended impact by the end. Still, if this is the amount of thought the filmmakers put into a small-budget independent feature, here’s hoping for more to come from the duo.

Falling Stars screened at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival.