The Blazing World

Once we get past that point, we enter into a fantastical realm where Margaret is once again beckoned by the mysterious man. This time she enters the black hole. She ends up in an alternate version of her parent’s house that is overgrown with ivy and flowers. We soon find out that the mysterious man is a demon named Lained (Udo Kier). He tells Margaret that Lizzie is stuck in this other dimension and that if Margaret opens four doors with four different keys, possessed by four demons, she can rescue her sister and bring her back to the land of the living.

What follows is a brilliant, childlike mash-up of fantasy and horror, as if Alice in Wonderland somehow took place in a Dario Argento film. The horrifying realm that Margaret travels through to rescue her sister is darkly gorgeous. Two of the demons that she has to get keys from are terrifying alternate universe versions of her parents. Laenid is one and the other is… you’ll have to wait and see for yourself.

Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

“…Shaw embodies the hidden grief of a mother who’s trying her best to support her living child.”

I’m not lying when I say that this is the best performance from Dermot Mulroney I have ever seen. His turn as a remorseful alcoholic is by turns funny, heartbreaking, and scary. Vinessa Shaw embodies the hidden grief of a mother who’s trying her best to support her living child. Carlson Young is brilliant as Margaret. Her confusion as to whether or not she is facing reality or fantasy is palpable. Her strength in facing her demons, which in this case are literal, is undoubtedly admirable. Of course, Udo Keir is delightful. You can tell he’s having the time of his life, and somehow, though he is supposed to be a scary demon, he’s also there to help Margaret, or so we think.

The visual effects are haunting, the costume design by Juliana Hoffpauir is delightfully fanciful, particularly for Shaw’s scenes as a nameless masked demon. The cinematography from veteran cinematographer Shane F. Kelly is a sight to behold. Basically, The Blazing World is gorgeous. It’s also incredibly well written by Peirce Brown and Young. I am most impressed by the fact that such a young director was able to make this opus her debut. I’m sure you will be, too, especially if you’re a lover of fantasy, horror, or both.

The Blazing World premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.