Athena (2015)
Film Review
By the Geezer of Oz
It’s about Carl, whose life has crumbled, and who now exists as a shell of a man. His wretched existence is punctuated by the loss of his wife and all of the emotional scarring that has created. It’s also about Emily, who is not well herself. She may be slightly schizophrenic and manic depressive, but she’s doing fine in general… stable job, active social life. Things could be better, if only she had
Carl. There is hope, however. Hope in the form of a voice which appears to Carl, then to Emily. That voice is Athena, but is she merely manipulating the situation, or is she genuinely attempting to help these two people? Life is messy, and she could be making things worse. [Robert W. Filion]
I’m going to say this right off
the bat… Athena is a weird film! This is the kind of film that you are either onboard for, or you’re not. Some people will be able to digest it and others will likely switch off before getting to the end. Generally, I am not a huge fan of this type of weirdness, but I watched the film all the way through and you know what? I enjoyed it! The style is somewhat reminiscent of work by David Cronenberg and possibly, in some ways, even David Lynch. It can best be described as a Sci-Fi thriller with elements of drama, horror, comedy and even romance. Pretty standard, right? Yeah, you won’t find much that is standard in Michael Louis Calvillo‘s script, which was bravely taken on by director Robert W. Filion.
Filion has a long list of short films behind him, yet Athena is his first foray into feature length territory and he does rather well in his first attempt. Athena tells the story of Carl, who is a tortured artist who lost his wife, the love of his life, in a freak accident. Now scarred, both figuratively and literally, he spends his time drinking heavily, creating some fairly disturbing paintings and taking care of his cute dog. One day, while walking the dog, he comes across a violent crime being committed and decides to help. From there on, his life takes an unexpected turn.
The cast equate themselves quite well. Matthew Ewald (Terror in Woods Creek, Plan 9, Terminal Error) puts in a very believable performance with the complex character of Carl. Vanelle (Alice in Deathland, Remnants, Psycho Holocaust) also has a tough character to handle, but does well as Emily. Michael Melendez (Good Time, Turning Home), Patrick G. Keenan (Kill Giggles, Bloody Ballet, Between Hell and a Hard Place) and Mahri Shelton (Pull, Infliction) as the voice of Athena, all do a great job in their respective roles as well.
The production value is quite high for a low budget indie film, very impressive. The soundtrack/music score is a little patchy, but still serves the film well enough. The script, while not overly complex plot-wise, does possess complex elements and structure and, as mentioned above, is quite odd, and therefore an acquired taste. Fans of strange sci-fi horror should get a kick out of it. I found that, at times, it was unclear whether the film wants to be taken seriously or as a more tongue-in-cheek comedy, as it seems to go in and out of both. Though overall I was not terribly bothered by the shifts in tone, for my taste, it could have been more consistent.
Filion seems to be a steady director with an interesting eye and I would be quite curious to see what he comes up with next. While Athena has its issues, it is still very entertaining, unique, and a great effort overall. It is obvious that a lot of blood, sweat and tears, as well as much care, went into putting this film together, which makes it even more endearing. Speaking of blood, horror fans would be happy to know that there is quite a bit of it decorating the screen in this one.
The film was recently released to DVD and online streaming via Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, FYE and more, so check it out.
Unique and endearing. Definitely worth your time. 7/10.
