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adamwatchesmovies · 4 years ago

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Kadaver (2020)

Kadaver would’ve worked so much better if you didn’t make its twist so obvious. As is, you wait an eternity for its characters to catch up to what you already know. After then, it picks up but that’s too little too late.

After a nuclear disaster has decimated civilization, Leonora (Gitte Witt), Jacob (Thomas Gullestad), and their daughter Alice (Tuva Olivia Remman) are on the brink of starvation - as is everyone else. One day, they receive an invitation to attend a theatre play unlike any they’ve ever seen and a free meal is included. The former actress convinces her family to join the starving guests, despite the offer seeming too good to be true.

There are some solid ideas present and many are well-executed. In the opulent hotel-turned-theater, the performers walk around while the guests are free to follow whichever plot intrigues them the most. To differentiate the groups, host Mathias (Thorbjørn Harr) hands out masks. Not only are these great, creepy visuals, they open-up loads of possibilities. You can say whatever you want. As long as your face isn't covered, no one will believe you. We're told only outsiders wear them, but who can tell, really? Additionally, Leonora suffers from a trauma that causes her to see Alice when she’s not there. It doesn’t pay off, but anyone who wants to make a movie about illusions or an unhinged character should see Kadaver so they can take notes on the way it shows her frayed sanity.

Though writer/director Jarand Herdal shows great skill, key choices ultimately sink the movie. The world is starving but there's a banquet, free of charge? You know what I’m thinking. I know you’re thinking it too, so why does it take Leonora and Jacob so long to learn the dark secret this place holds? Frustratingly, it wouldn’t be nearly as obvious if this wasn’t set in a post-apocalyptic setting. The devastated world raises dozens of questions like “how does Matthias keep the lights on?”, "How does he maintain a staff?”, “Did all of the building's "things" come from before the bomb fell, or after? Either way, how did those get installed?” and “Down the line, how is this charade sustainable?”.

Unfortunately for us, we’re following the least suspicious person to ever survive the apocalypse. You’d think a survivor would have finely-honed survival skills… but no. Even when she does take charge and go on the offense, she repeatedly fails to take advantage of her situation. I understand the characters don’t know they’re in a horror movie but even so, they’re too slow to piece things together.

Kadaver is so close to making its premise work you keep giving it the benefit of the doubt. Your patience runs out by the time things kick into high gear. The terrific visuals and blips of smart directing are enough to keep you watching but ultimately, it fails to deliver like you want it to. (Original Norwegian with English subtitles, October 28, 2020)

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