Bight is the feature length directorial debut of Maiara Walsh, who also co-wrote this alongside Cameron Cowperthwaite (both of whom co-star). It was described as an erotic thriller, and to be honest; that isn't a subgenre that I'm particularly fond of, nor am I a fan of bondage type goings on, all a bit over the top for me. Going into this with that attitude, I soon found myself feeling like my expectations were correct. However, despite not being a huge fan of the subject matter, I found myself drawn into this dark and depressing tale that oozed atmosphere and had a killer soundtrack.
Charlie (Walsh - The Vampire Diaries) and her artist husband Atticus (Cowperthwaite - Fallout) have been invited to what they believe to be a party at their mutual friend's place - the apartment of artist Naomi (Maya Stojan - Castle) and her photographer husband; Sebastian (Mark Hapka - Ghost Whisperer: The Other Side). Charlie and Atticus have been having relationship difficulties, mainly due to her being too caught up in her work, while she believes Atticus to have become dull and unwilling to take risks like they used to. Their plans to stay at the party for just one drink are scuppered when they realise that they were the only people invited. Sebastian reveals that he had actually invited them there for a special project he was working on. He wants to tie up Charlie and Atticus in bondage ropes for a special photoshoot, which he states will be the centre piece for the art project he is working on. Due to the couples issues, Charlie agrees to this, hoping it will bring some of the spark back to her husband. Unknown to them both, Sebastian has drugged their drinks, and what begins as an erotic photoshoot begins to turn into something far more sinister as Sebastian reveals the real reason they are there.
The prologue featured the protagonists in the shower together washing what appeared to be bloodstains off of their bodies. It was that image which initially kept me invested; I figured that was a flash forward from later in the movie, and that the drama of the night would turn into something more appropriately horror-like. The first half of this 90 or so minute thriller didn't have much horror at all in the traditional sense. There was however, a fascinating atmosphere of something not being quite right. A lot of this was down to the lighting, the apartment the majority of the film is set in is a very dark place. Not dark as in hard to see anything, more that the lighting is dim, that coupled with how miserable and on edge everyone was led to there being an unsettling feel despite nothing appearing to be wrong. The characters were all pretentious and a little insufferable, but they were unified in this feeling, coming across as the artistic types they were meant to be. Lots of analysing of paintings, and discussion of painting methods and artistic inspirations. The apartment had a real vibe to it, from the long solitary corridor that leads to the building, to large rooms filled with artwork, and a red lit gallery that couldn't help but suggest unease.
The tone of the story begins to match the uneasy atmosphere towards the end of the second act. This was all made possible by the four central characters, in particular, Hapka gave a mesmerising performance. The way he said some of his lines was perfect, especially during a scene with him and Walsh in a bathroom. The editing and directing gave a disorientating feel, flashbacks blending with the present day, and lots of tricks to simulate the distorted visuals the characters were experiencing under the effects of whatever drug they had been unknowingly given. For an erotic thriller, there wasn't much nudity, something that I welcomed. There are nude models during the intro credit sequence, but in the film itself, nudity is left more to the imagination. It leads to a dark and bleak third act, something that really drew me to the film world. As mentioned in my prologue, this also enjoyed a fantastic soundtrack. I don't know much about music to know what genre it was, but it had a morose and depressive feel to the triphop type beats (maybe, I don't know music!). Also enjoyed the recurring theme that sounded like something out of horror video game Blasphemous of all things.
Despite not being a fan of erotic thrillers, I thought Bight was excellently made. The combination of the music, the oppressive feeling look of the apartment, and the bubbling unsaid tension combined to make something that was greater than the sum of its parts. It ends on a bit of an arty epilogue that I can't say I entirely understood, but I liked the general direction the story went in, even if everything may not be as it seemed. Bight comes to VOD and digital on February 10th from Scatena & Rosner Films.
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