kristinewdeleon Reviews

Effigy: Poison and the City (2019)

Captivating, Slow Burn Cat-and-Mouse

[9/10 · 12 February 2024]

Deftly filmed by director Udo Flohr, "Effigy - Poison and the City" offers an absorbing glimpse of history that should satisfy period drama fans. Set in the 19th-century German port city of Bremen, the film is based on the true story of Gesche Gottfried. As one of the first female serial killers ever identified, she was beheaded in 1831 - Bremen's last public execution.

The movie skilfully blends elements of suspense, drama, and psychological thriller, keeping the audience engaged and intrigued throughout. Its meticulous attention to historical detail immerses viewers in the era's atmosphere. The pacing is deliberate - and occasionally slow, but this apparent mundanity underscores the grim brutality of its subject matter.

Lead actress Suzan Anbeh, who portrays Gesche Gottfried, delivers a nuanced and compelling performance, expertly balancing the character's complexity and evoking both empathy and revulsion. She presents Gottfried not just as a villain but as a multifaceted individual shaped by her circumstances and demons. Consequently, the film also delves into themes of gender and societal roles, reflecting on how women were perceived and treated during that time. It offers both entertainment and insight.

Overall, if you're a fan of thought-provoking psychological thrillers and period pieces alike, give Effigy a watch.

The Undertaker (I) (2023)

Paul Mcgann broods

[8/10 · 6 February 2024]

Full disclosure I'm a big fan of Paul McGann. From Withnail and I, Monocled Mutineer to Dr Who and beyond, he is one of Englands most underrated and underused talents. I'd watch him making a cup of tea and in this film that's exactly what he does. The whole film has a tea stained quality to it, 'a nicotine stained fly blown lung' to quote his character, Marwood in Withnail and I. He is beautifully reserved as The Undertaker, 'I just bury people' is his mantra delivered with such a simple throw away bespectacled look that underscores the duplicity underneath. He really shines in this film. As Paul has said in interview he did this film because it's the sort of film he'd go and see and that sums him up. Cult film actor who does the most riskiest of films others turn down. I love him and the sparkle he brings to any production. A real star.