By Caleb Duncan
Summer has arrived, and a bunch of college kids just want to get drunk, party, and make bad decisions. It’s when a meteor strikes and party-goers begin seeing duplicates of themselves that things begin to get crazy in this visually stunning piece of film. Director Dennis Iliadis (The Last House on the Left) brings together a killer soundtrack and a story that is interesting enough to keep you questioning just what exactly is going on. Trust me, when the credits roll you will still have a raised eyebrow at what you just saw.
I chose American Pie and The Twilight Zone because I felt like I was in the middle and being tugged in both directions. Naked women and glow sticks are in abundance while at the same time the ongoing uneasiness on the other side. The blending of suspense with teen angst can prove to be a winning combination in this case due to the fact that the main storyline revolves around a heart-broken guy, David (played by Rhys Wakefield) who just wants his girlfriend back. He spends practically the entire movie wandering around in a daze looking for her (something I was not too excited about). While the insanity of duplication progresses, and the teenagers are getting more inebriated, a sad view of growing up is shown in Suzanne McCloskey’s character, Allison. A girl who can’t seem to fit in until she finds her double, and oddly enough feels right at home with her while the other party goers are freaking out.
This combination of chilling sci-fi with teen angst proved to be the strongest aspect of the story. Beautifully told and accepted because there was truth in it. I’m not looking to debunk anything in a movie, or else I would have a few issues with +1, but being able to see that very human and real struggle on screen is something I cannot find in most movies out there today. Too much goes into the budget, and too much goes into making the actors look like a god. Filmmakers sometimes forget that we go to the movies to feel something real. When I started seeing double, I can admit I was afraid I would not get that feeling. I’m glad to say Iliadis proved me wrong.
Plato once said “[Music] gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, [and] flight to the imagination.” These words truly resonated with me as I listened to +1. In fact, sometimes I would get so carried away with the music playing that I would forget it serves as a supplementary tool for the filmmaker. As David travels around the scene the music accompanies his mood and his thoughts. You would not expect much musical eloquence from a film of this low magnitude but in the end the soundtrack proved to be one of the most stable performances.
The writing is fast-paced and witty, but it loses some of its edge when the duplication process starts. When something that bizarre happens in a story it is of utmost importance that the writing stay in tact and continue to deliver the punch it packs. It lost some of its spontaneity when things got hectic, and I kept waiting for it to get back on course. It really came down to being surprised. It lost the surprise factor that it had in the beginning.
Rhys Wakefield had a lot on his plate in this role. For his character of David, I did get one message from him at the end. The message is you have to be willing to do anything for love. Cliché I know. Wakefield’s job proved to get even more difficult when the choice arrived of having to live with knowing the women he loves no longer wants to have anything to do with him. Oh, wait! There’s a double of her, so it’s okay in the end, right? I don’t think so. While the semi-happy ending was satisfying (in its own unanswered-questioned kind of way) I was horrified at what Wakefield’s David did for love, or lack there of. Logan Miller, who plays the rambunctious sidekick Teddy, had me laughing from the get go. I assumed he would be the comedic relief throughout but after coitus, things get too intense for Teddy and the change happens where this lovable wannabe Stifler must take charge. I could not have been more pleased with Miller’s interpretation of this guy; a common character that was dealt with in an uncommon way. Wakefield and Miller had a good supporting cast to help them through the ordeal. Rohan Kymal (who plays the party’s host, Angad) ended up giving the most pleasing performance for me. He had a moment in the end where he breaks down because he cannot seem to understand what he has just witnessed. Seeing Kymal’s breakdown tied up the story quite nicely since it brought back the teen angst that comes with lack of understanding of the world around you. What was even better was that the camera began to shy away from Kymal when his breakdown started. Society is uncomfortable with vulnerability, I guess.
Seeing the regression of these teenagers with a very in-your-face attitude made +1 an intriguing spectacle of light, sound, and emotion. I wanted to know what happens next, and see how these people deal with their lives after this traumatic event. However, I was satisfied peeking into their world on that bizarre night, because I felt I left with something I did not have before. I left with the feeling of reassurance. While these characters may have felt the opposite of that, I felt at peace walking out of the theater. Knowing that I may now understand the human psyche just a little more from this ninety-five minutes is something bizarre in itself. You just do not get to learn something all the time when you go to the movies these days. That’s something I place value in. I want to learn and feel something, and I wanted to see these characters learn something. Both are highly important when making a good film. As I sit here and write this review I can only hope these party animals feel the same.
