One Eyed Girl

Overview

Some days, don't you just want to run off and join a cult? That's the done thing in the movies, at least. From The Wicker Man to Kill List and Martha Marcy May Marlene to Sound of My Voice, creepy collectives led by charismatic figures continue to entice lost souls. One Eyed Girl is the latest effort to fall under the subgenre's sway, and to attempt to seduce its own followers.

On screen, psychiatrist Travis (Mark Leonard Winter) is the troubled figure finding solace in a group, and a man, who contend to have all the answers. He's certainly ripe for the picking, his thoughts haunted by the one that got away — aka the girl he couldn't save (Katy Cheel) — and his self-medicating proving little assistance. When he spots teenager Grace (Tilda Cobham-Hervey from 52 Tuesdays) handing out flyers on the train, he initially dismisses her street preaching, but soon he's intrigued by the saviour (Steve Le Marquand) she champions. A pill-popping cry for help later, and Travis is out on the commune's farmland compound; however, their idea of salvation doesn't match his own.

Off screen, first-time feature filmmaker Nick Matthews is also headed in the direction of wise heads and helping hands. The ghosts of cult films past linger over his moody debut, from the stereotypical characters to the just as typical power struggles. The sceptical newcomer, the adoring devotee and the commanding leader — we've seen all these before. We've also seen the fallout when questions are raised, and when someone refuses to comply with the status quo. Eyes are opened, and all that peace and love and believing in yourself goes out the door.

And yet, while the writer/director clearly traverses familiar territory with a psychoanalysis versus natural therapy twist, he does so with confidence. After establishing his skills as a cinematographer on 2:37, as well as other various technical talents on projects such as Beautiful Kate and Wolf Creek 2, he's not so green that he's a mere disciple of similarly themed movies gone by; rather, he's heavily influenced by them.

In fact, Matthews' ambitions see him taking on a couple of strands of cult stories, one an introspective journey about overcoming trauma, and the other a gung-ho thriller. Together, the two make a motivated but awkward combination, the movie never quite convincingly shifting from simmering anguish to all-out aggression. Sluggish pacing doesn't help, dragging through the first half and then rushing through the second.

What does work is the film's unrelenting intensity. It clicks into gear with the opening shot and shows no signs of fading. One Eyed Girl always looks the moody part, whether roaming over icily shot city buildings or relishing the warmth of the countryside in contrast. It also simmers with tension even with its predictable plot, with the determined cast deserving much of the credit. They know what kind of movie they're in, and they play their parts perfectly. Their efforts — and Matthews' assurance — might only result in an okay addition to the fold, but it is one sure to be accepted by worshippers of cult films.