[REVIEW] A Wounded Fawn
At an elite auction house, art buyers Bruce (Josh Ruben) and Kate (Malin Barr) competitively bid on a prized statue named “The Wrath of Erinyes”, a depiction of three goddesses (The Furies) from the Hellenistic period. The three goddesses are said to act out justice for victims: Megara the grudging, Alecto the unceasing, and Tisiphone the punisher of murderers. Bruce relinquishes his pursuit of the item and Kate, victorious, heads home to pop a bottle of champagne only to be stalked home and murdered by the deranged Bruce—spurred on by a humongous owl shrouded in red lighting.
Sitting in a session, Meredith (Sarah Lind) tells her therapist that she is feeling good about where she is heading in her healing. Afterwards, Meredith confides in her friends that she has met someone and that she is heading off for a romantic weekend getaway in the woods. Out in an isolated art déco cabin, Meredith and Bruce start off on a romantic foot before Bruce’s killer instincts kick into overdrive and his insanity takes over, forcing him to transform into his serial killing persona.
The film draws inspiration from some of horror’s favourite sub-genres. There are moments where scenes resemble colourisation and scene arrangements that we often see in Argento’s giallos like Opera (1987) and Suspiria (1977). This is also clear in the murderous and controlling owl that haunts Bruce, the costume hauntingly similar to the owl that lets loose on the cast in the 1987 giallo slasher Stagefright (dir. Michael Soavi). These elements add a depth to the film as it interweaves folk lore and mythology through imagery and dialogue. Kotanski’s (Psycho Goreman, 2020) practical effects are in full effect as the visceral violence and brutality of the film is unleashed through gory and blood-soaked scenes. The gore of the film is gruesome and realistic. You can feel the squelch of brain matter and feel the soaking of blood as blow after blow hits. Bruce’s violent tendencies are unrelenting as he rapidly unravels into the serial killing machine he is; his decent chaotic and twisted.
Ruben’s diabolical performance never waivers as he transitions between the charming and intoxicating Bruce and the intense and unstable predator. While Bruce’s intentions are revealed at the beginning of the film, it makes his descent into madness terrifying as his metamorphosis is slow and unpredictable. The script that Ruben is tasked with is descriptive and engaging, especially as he delivers monologues of hysteria. There are moments where Ruben takes on the woods of the cabin that are comparable to Ash Williams’ moments of insanity in the Evil Dead II (1987). It is within this act that the film takes a hard left turn for the better. The audience is taken on a wild journey through a Greek epic through eccentric exchanges and distinctive imagery.
While the third act descends into a chaotic and hard to navigate story, the film comes to a satisfying finale. In a psychedelic haze, Bruce is thrown into a revenge style epic that has some confusing moments of dialogue and alluding to the female goddesses that are depicted on the statue. It is part that is reminiscent of Greek tragedies. The prose that is incorporated throughout is harsh and dramatic while tormenting a psychotic Bruce who has become completely unhinged by this point.
A Wounded Fawn is a strange and dynamic viewing experience. The film fuses together a multitude of genre influences that contribute to a weird and wild rollercoaster of a movie. Sprinkle in a little of 80s’ slashers, a dash of Argento, and a heartfelt pinch of Raimi and you have yourself a mythological inspired slasher that is enthralling and unique.
A Wounded Fawn is now streaming only on Shudder.
