Thewlis: “...a medieval nickname for somebody who was considered ill-mannered…” Thewlis (Brett Voina) is also the name of a mysterious man who likes to discuss the intricacies of life. However, when Mike (Joseph Moreland) finds himself in the presence of this man, one that isn’t quite what he seems, he knows that his life is in danger.
Thewlis is a low-budget horror-esque film that plays with human emotion, that plays with the psychological aspect of things (that is until the very end). Viewers are forced into this film in a very abrupt and aggressive way, and that comes with the territory of a film of this nature. The first act of Thewlis is wonky, riddled with bad dialogue, subpar acting, and not much excitement at all. I cringed numerous times throughout the opening act, and I couldn’t figure out why Writer-Director Richard Russell made many of the decisions that he did at this point in the film (and to be clear, I’m not sure that these decisions ever actually made sense). Once that first act concludes, however, and Mike becomes the character that guides us through the rest of the film, things change. Viewers are sort of thrust into this film, into the unique psychological warfare that continues throughout the course of Thewlis, and I feel that this abrupt shift in tone and style makes the film more accessible and enjoyable.
The middle of the film is the most important, the portion of the film that effectively develops the relevant characters and allows viewers to appreciate the horror-esque nature of Thewlis. Voina and Moreland have a great chemistry, and they are ultimately responsible for pulling viewers into the story. They navigate a less-than-ideal bit of dialogue and rocky cinematography, and they bring to life a feeling of uncomfortability that transcends their time on screen together. During their ten or fifteen-minute conversation together, they develop a thrilling tone, enjoyable characters, and just about everything that Thewlis needs to be successful.
The middle portion of Thewlis is bookended by two scenes that just don’t work. Whether it’s the acting, the writing, or something else entirely in those moments–Thewlis struggles at the start and at the end. Yet, there is still a fifteen-ish minute section of the film that works beautifully. The film could have been ten minutes shorter–it should have been ten minutes shorter. The film would have been truly wonderful had other parts of the film not existed, had the film honed in on one aspect of Mike’s journey.
Russell overdoes it with some of his decisions. The fact of the matter is that Thewlis shouldn’t have been more than fifteen-minutes long, and there is a ton of content that doesn’t help the film, only hurt it. The acting from some of the individuals involved don’t help the situation, and a good portion of the film suffers as a result. Thewlis struggles, there’s no doubt about that–and many of the silly decisions that Russell makes throughout are the cause of this. However, in the moments that are successful I adored this film. If Russell could make a more fine-tuned version of Thewlis, it would be massively successful.
Written & Directed by Richard Russell.
Starring Joseph Moreland, Allison Marie Rogers, Kyle Shaw, & Brett Voina.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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