There are literally only three people that appear on screen for the duration of the 85 minute film, shouldering Dumont and Ainsley with the responsibility of populating the human cast. Co-staring with an actual Black Mamba whose mouth was carefully secured shut, the two actors valiantly emote and work through the turmoil of a marriage on the rocks as a venomous snake writhes and coils on their bare skin.
Writer, director Evans accomplishes a remarkable feat. Trapping two characters in a tiny tent with a snake seems like an idea that would be used up in roughly 5 minutes. Not so here. Using a remarkable variety of camera angles that make everything seem like uncharted territory, along with a subtext that feeds into the imagery, we are subjected to horrors both internal and external. Before getting trapped in the tent we are given a chance to learn about the two characters. We get who they are and the painful situation they are in. The film sets up the grueling centerpiece with care so that when things get claustrophobic, we have enough subtext to occupy us when visuals strain to remain fresh.
Serpent isn’t an action horror film, but a slow-cooked meditation on a relationship and the death dealing poison of deceit. There are certainly moments that had this reviewer coiled up into a ball lest any snakes were loose in the movie theatre, but this film is far more than a snake movie. Serpent is a well-crafted, intimate thriller that will coil around you and never let you loose until the final, death-dealing bite.
Serpent (2017) Directed by Amanda Evans Written by: Amanda Evans. Starring: Sarah Dumont, Tom Ainsley, Skye Russell
Serpent is worth Matinee (***).
* Norm’s Rating System: Full Price (****), Matinee (***), VOD (**), Don’t Bother (*)
