Black Bear (2020)

Black Bear: Directed by Lawrence Michael Levine. With Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lázaro. A filmmaker at a creative impasse seeks solace from her tumultuous past at a rural retreat, only to find that the woods summon her inner demons in intense and surprising ways.

“An intricately layered, fiendishly plotted u0026amp; anxiety-inducing thriller thatu0026#39;s further bolstered by Aubrey Plazau0026#39;s powerfully captivating performance, Black Bear is an emotionally charged u0026amp; increasingly unnerving ride thatu0026#39;s clever u0026amp; confounding in equal measure and offers an interesting insight into the behind-the-scenes chaos of art creation.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWritten u0026amp; directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, the film only gets more n more intense u0026amp; uncomfortable as it progresses, and sustains its uneasy aura from the first frame to the last. Levineu0026#39;s enigmatic treatment keeps the viewers guessing and although he doesnu0026#39;t provide any answer, he does manage to create just the right kind of intrigue for us to continue looking for it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAssisting the psychologically scarring drama is the haunting sound design that never allows us to settle. And then there are fabulous performances that make this journey even more worthwhile. Christopher Abbott u0026amp; Sarah Gadon deliver strong inputs while Aubrey Plaza steals the show with a phenomenal rendition thatu0026#39;s impressive enough to qualify as arguably her career-best work.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall, Black Bear is a dark, delirious u0026amp; disturbing delight thatu0026#39;s as subversive as it is solipsistic and while far from an easy film to decipher in one sitting, it is able to keep our interest u0026amp; involvement alive throughout its runtime. One of the most challenging u0026amp; stimulating films of the year, this meta-thriller paints a fascinating portrait of art imitating life imitating art, and is worth viewing for Aubrey Plazau0026#39;s commanding showcase alone.”