Fugue: A Review

On June 6, 2010, Fugue had its world premiere at the Dances with Film Festival in the heart of Los Angeles. Films where the protagonist is struggling with psychological trauma are always tricky; they can either be brilliant or ham-fisted. Writer/director Barbara Stepansky manages to find a nice balance, mixing elements of horror and neuro-science, creating a relatively chilling film.

Charlotte Vale, played by newcomer Abigail Mittel, has just moved into a new home with her boyfriend, Howard (Richard Gunn, "Dexter"), but no sooner are boxes unpacked than she starts hearing weird noises, odd whispers, and seeing a hostile, faceless woman roaming the house and grounds. Charlotte discovers that she's pregnant at the same time she finds out that she's suffering from disassociative fugue, which has caused her to forget the last nine months. She begins a quest to piece together her past in order to solve the present. She discovers that Howard's ex-wife, Victoria (Erika Bruun-Andersen), may have more than a bone to pick with her.

This modestly budgeted thriller succeeds in taking the viewer on Charlotte's psychological journey, riding it out until the end. While the film is enthralling, cutting back on the gore would have made it more suspenseful. These scenes distracted from the tension of the relationships in the film. Also, glaring storyline question: could Charlotte remember her life before the nine months she forgot? Wouldn't that have some relevance to her self-discovery? The look of the film is moody, the music a perfect compliment to each scene. Stepansky and writer/producer Matt Harry have crafted an organic thriller, along the lines of Paranormal Activity, leaving most of the horror to take place in the viewer's mind. The highlight of the film is Mittel, who does a wonderful job of expressing Charlotte's inner turmoil and growth. A suitable nod to Hitchcock, Fugue is one woman's journey from darkness into light, with the remnants of the macabre refusing to let go. For more information on this film, go to: http://fuguethefilm.com/index.html