The Swerve

I cannot recommend The Swerve enough. It is one of the most depressing horror films I’ve ever seen, so maybe don’t watch it if you’re trying to feel super-sunshiney. It is an amazingly cathartic experience.

The Swerve is the opposite of comforting.

Suburban suffocation, impending doom, a tragedy waiting to happen, The Swerve is a compelling depiction of existential angst, melancholy, and mental illness, with director Kapsalis opting for subtlety over big-scene meltdown histrionics and much to his credit.

First-time feature director Kapsalis understands that the best way to capture a performance like this is to just leave the camera on her as Holly leans in to her worst instincts.

Kapsalis has written and directed an engrossing “woman on the verge” tale. But it is Azura Skye who draws us into it, earns our sympathy and makes us fear for how far this woman will be pushed before she pushes back, or snaps altogether.

Can a movie about a mental disorder not be dark and depressive? Hardly. So, it is a given that this film will not make you jump with joy. The protagonist of the movie Holly tries hard to keep delicate balance and lead a normal life of a high-school teacher, a wife and a mother of two, each of those could be quite challenging in itself. The problem is that this balance is so volatile that it can be ruined by an insignificant thing which in this case is a mouse. Holly is played by Azura Skye, and she steals the show, her performance is top-notch. Overall performances are quite good as well. If you do not mind dark well-made movies, this one's for you.