Skip to content

FAILURE! [FrightFest 2023]

Written By:

Martin Unsworth
Failure

by Martin Unsworth

Writer/director Alex Kahuam’s new feature following the impressively disturbing Forgiveness is an ambitious piece filmed in one continuous shot, which grabs the viewer and doesn’t let go.

James (Ted Raimi) is having a bad day. He’s having massive money problems and is under pressure to sell the family factory or face dire consequences. As various people visit him throughout the day, he’s on a rollercoaster of emotions. To make matters worse, he has his daughter’s upcoming wedding to contend with. As the day unfolds, things spiral more out of control.

Far from being a gimmick, the fluid camerawork (by Ernesto Lomeli) puts us in the centre of an increasingly nightmarish farce. The visuals are nothing, however, without an able cast, whether it’s the motley crew who arrive for a wedding fitting or those who come to negotiate the sale of the business, many of whom have money issues of their own. It’s good to note that the one-shot aspect doesn’t distract from the potent storytelling and the powerhouse performance from Ted Raimi. It does, however, show an immense amount of planning that is executed perfectly.

Where Kahuam’s previous film was a mighty grim affair, there’s plenty of humour in Failure!, albeit of a very dark tone. Raimi appears to be a natural at playing desperate and downbeat, but there are other subtle elements to his character that gives him a surprising depth. It feels like he’s on-screen almost constantly, a big ask when you take into account there couldn’t be any cuts. We can share in his sadness, tension, and anxiety while not approving of the things he does. The stakes we face in real life might not be as high, but we can sympathise with his situation. James is trying his best to do the right thing, but the situation constantly gets out of hand and escalates dramatically. Even though he does a lot of immoral things, he wants to be loyal but is slowly coming to terms with how things are going to roll.

Failure! is a dialogue-heavy film – think a more natural and less showy Tarantino – that’s both engaging and engrossing and deserves a wider audience and shows that the young director has plenty of promise.

stars

Failure! had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 28th.

You May Also Like...

margaret qualley of the substance joins cast of the dog stars by ridley scott

THE DOG STARS Adds Margaret Qualley And Others To Cast

Ridley Scott‘s thriller feature The Dog Stars continues to announce its cast list, following news that Jacob Elordi would replace Paul Mescal in the lead role. Margaret Qualley, Josh Brolin and Guy
Read More
house of night book cover marked

HOUSE OF NIGHT Novels To Receive Film Adaptation

A film adaptation of the bestselling YA vampire fantasy, 12-book series House of Night is in the works. Cinematographer Rain Li (Paris, Je T’aime, Paranoid Park) will direct from a script she
Read More
the lord of the rings: rings of power renewed for season 3

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Gets Renewed For Season 3

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has been renewed for a third season, which will surprise no one considering the major cliffhangers on which season 2 ended.
Read More
taylor lautner to star in twilight meta series taylor lautner: werewolf hunter

Twilight Star To Star In Very Meta TAYLOR LAUTNER: WEREWOLF HUNTER Series

Taylor Lautner is set to star in a very self-aware TV series, which he will also executive produce for Amazon MGM Studios, titled Taylor Lautner: Werewolf Hunter. The project was
Read More
aaron paul to star in the night house. still from film the path

THE NIGHT HOUSE Will Star Jacob Tremblay And Aaron Paul

Room star Jacob Tremblay and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul will star in The Night House from producer Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity, Split). The Night House is based on the 2023 novel by Jo Nesbø, whose writing
Read More
how to train your dragon trailer live-action

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON Debuts Full Trailer

After debuting an excerpt of the film during the Super Bowl, Universal Pictures has released the full trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action remake of the beloved
Read More