"The Nest": Movie Review
Unsettling and psychologically distressing, "The Nest" is a slow-moving but rewarding deep dive into a degrading family. A stressfully lingering ambiguity adds to its persistent intensity, even if its symbolism and personal storytelling becomes too hyperbolic. Director/ writer Sean Durkins ("Martha Marcy May Marlene") second feature film demonstrates his sharp directorial ability through his use of cinematographer Mátyás Erdély and production designer James Price with perfect precision. Durkin's latest is not going to win over some viewers, but its power lies in the audience's patience.
In the mid-1980s a determined businessman, Rory O'Hara (Jude Law), leads his family down a path of greed and lies. As his rich lifestyle and poor decision-making begin to spiral out of control, his family's well being also becomes troubled.
The film's 80's soundtrack and photography are dramatically purposeful elements that remain quite effective throughout. Also, its mix of placid landscapes and integrated jazz are dispersed in an intelligent manner that build upon the foreboding tone. And Erdély's close up shots and Durkin's use of panning and zoom-ins are rich in sublime detail.
Law, Carrie Coon, Oona Roche, and Charlie Shotwell deliver understated performances that affix to the film's often eerie mood. All four characters are directed in a thoughtful manner that occasionally leads to minor contrivances. A heavily symbolic horse or awkwardly integrated scenes about adolescence somewhat remove the Stanley Kubrick-esque tension Durkin has paid homage to. Fortunately, they don't last long enough to interrupt the many mysteries that might take a few viewings to fully grasp.
As a result of the film's esoteric nature and ambivalent characters, many viewers may leave confounded. Because of its dreamlike locations and melancholic cinematography, Durkins progresses his narrative with a distinct intrigue that becomes increasingly nail-biting. And while the themes infrequently become overly ambitious "The Nest" invariably cuts deep.
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