A BANQUET – In theaters and on demand February 18 – is a visually arresting, slow-burning psychological horror that uses subtle supernatural elements to create tension within a family in the midst of a breakdown, exploiting the complicated bond between three generations of mothers and daughters.
Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) experiences a profound enlightenment and insists that her body is no longer her own, but in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, Betsey refuses to eat but loses no weight. In an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs.
I have said before that one of my favorite parts of any film festival is the midnight screenings of horror films. It is the end of a long day and your body is tired but fueled by a shaky adrenaline. Your senses are heightened so that sounds are louder and visuals more striking. A BANQUET is one of those films that fits that scenario, and one that I could see myself seeing in that element.
I am not sure I would put this in the horror category. There are few scary moments, or times when you feel like you need to look away. It is more a psycho thriller that keeps you guessing and hoping that something explosive is right around the corner. That BAM moment never comes – which is a slight let down – but at the same time the journey of the characters is just enough to keep you on board.
To be honest I am still not really sure what the driving force behind the characters transformation was. A young girl experiences something, decides not to eat, never loses weight, argues with her mom, says a bunch of weird things, then it is over. There are a lot of metaphors about the mom-daughter dynamic and how hurts are passed down from generation to generation. But they are subtle and at times very vague.
There are a lot of filler scenes that do not cohesively play well with the major plot line. As each one presented it self I hoped it would have clues to help with the riddle. But nope. It was more of just in-the-life glimpes that meant little.
This film is not without accolades though. If it wins anything in my book it is the use of food and the cooking of that food in a way that made me fear it. I can’t really explain it. The mom was an exceptional cook and would fix these very beautiful dishes for her daughters. The sound of the chopping, the sizzling pan, and the food being made was next level. I think the fact that the daughter would not eat put a focus on the food even though none was needed. Yet it was like another character. The editing and sound engineering of these moments were incredible.
A BANQUET is unrated but intended for mature audiences due to themes, imagery, and language. There is nothing in this that is offensive or repulsive. I give it 2 out of 5 pea salads. A visually striking film that has little meat on the bone.
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