Censor
Ten Second Review: Certainly interesting, and at times thought provoking, Censor doesn’t quite land it’s final blows.
It has been a little while since I’d seen something sincerely arty so I was excited to see what Censor had to offer.
We follow Enid (Niamh Algar), a film censor working at the height of Britain’s “video-nasty” craze. Plagued by her own trauma, Enid hopes to help others by moderating films, but when her own demons bubble up it will take her on an unexpected journey.
The theming and aesthetic of this film really are quite enjoyable. The use of film grain, aspect ratios and the often uncomfortable acting give really nice weight to a film that does not so much celebrate a classic genre like a love letter, but bear witness to it like an engaged student.
The nice parallels between the film and the then and now news also makes this an interesting watch. The horror of what media makes people do and the blame we assign it as opposed to the individual is still something we see today and the film is good at carefully lacing that throughout. It even makes mention of the supposed influence never having actually been viewed, highlighting the drive media often has to make unfounded associations. The way we see our own stories in films, tv and games that has nothing to do with us and then fault those mediums and their creators for making it.
When we see a school shooter we blame media and games not access to weapons and lack of access to help and support. The film even directly references the role that social services play in protecting individually and society from the potential dangers that trauma can present when untreated.
The shame of the film is that while it feels so successful in laying its message and groundwork, it doesn’t quite land the blows you want it too in its third act. It’s not to say it goes in a bad direction, but more that it does what it does in an unsatisfying way. It seems to be a film that many critics will applaud (partly out of fear of other critics liking it and feeing left out), but I imagine it may leave audiences a little cold.
The care and love for the subject shown makes me excited for more from Prano Bailey-Bond as they grow their style and ability, but Censor does not quite hit the mark I think it was aiming for.
