2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
In a harrowing world, Jerry (Liam Jeans) is trying to find his way. He’s a loving son to his mother Abbey (Maartje Remmers) and a volunteer at a home for special needs adults–but he also takes part in an illegal fight club, he harasses others, and he has a dark secret that no one knows about. While Jerry used to be the Mascot for his family’s successes, things are changing, and this family now struggles to stay on its feet as they come to terms with the decisions that Jerry makes.
In a twisted telling of childhood, Mascot brings a series of strange ideas to life–and many of the things that happen are not for the faint of heart. Sex and violence play prominent roles throughout the course of Mascot–and Director Remy van Heugten doesn’t hold back when expressing these things to viewers. There are no easy-to-swallow moments in regard to these themes, and viewers are forced to see despicable acts play out throughout the film. I imagine that it’s difficult to find ways to depict these things on screen, to present them to viewers in a way that doesn’t turn them off to the film, but that actually plays a role in the development of characters and the story. van Heugten does this, and he creates something interesting and captivating–balancing each of the harrowing events that play out throughout the film. While a lot of things that occur are difficult to watch, they each play a significant role in the development of Jerry, and without them the story never becomes whole.
Through everything, Mascot is a story of fetishes. It’s about fetishizing life and the things we care about. It’s quite sad actually, and as the film drives forward, more about human desire makes its way to the forefront of the film. In a lot of ways the film tells us how disgusting humanity is, how far they are willing to go for trivial and inappropriate things. This message is heard loud and clear–as it takes another breath at every turn throughout Mascot.
The film’s score is nothing short of brilliant–bringing viewers close to tears, and allowing all the things present in the film to come to life. Headed by the deep, powerful sounds of the violin, it pulls emotion out of each and every second of the film. The score ends up becoming the most important aspect of Mascot, as I’m not sure that the emotion present in the film really reaches the surface without it.
Mascot is incredibly twisted, but not in the way that so many mainstream films are these days. It’s not all about blood and gore, it’s not all about violence (although there is a good amount present in the film)–there’s a genuine story present throughout the course of this film. There’s no way that Mascot appeals to a large audience, however, the niche group that it does appeal to will find the intricacies and the twisted nature of the film to be endearing in an interesting way. Mascot is certainly cringy, but for all the right reasons–and I think that it’s found its place in the world of cinema.
Directed by Remy van Heugten.
Written by Gustaaf Peek & Remy van Heugten.
Starring Liam Jeans, Maartje Remmers, Frederike Van Oordt, Leopold Witte, Mouad Nineb, Geert Van Rampelberg, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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