It seems almost appropriate that I saw Queen of Earth back to back with Phoenix. It's not really that the two films have anything in common on almost any level; while Phoenix is the story of a Holocaust survivor trying to rebuild her life, Queen of Earth is a breakup film by way of Repulsion, as a young woman (Elisabeth Moss, of Mad Men fame) retreats to a cabin with her best friend and begins to unravel. No, the comparison comes from the fact that both films work a bit better on a metaphorical level than on a literal one. But while Phoenix still gripped me even on a literal basis, I found myself getting a little frustrated with Queen of Earth, which often lets Moss go way over the top in her madness, and reduces its supporting characters to archetypes that don't quite work for the story. And yet, for all of that, it's hard to deny the intensity and mood of Queen of Earth, which uses a dread-inducing score, some wonderful long takes, and great performances to constantly leave the viewer feel a sense of mounting unease. More than that, writer-director Alex Ross Perry does fantastic work when it comes to Moss's character, letting her madness slowly reveal itself as being much more complex and difficult than a simple reaction to a breakup. Nonetheless, the lack of restraint hurts the film at points, especially as it goes along, making Moss feel like she's going full on Jack Nicholson rather than truly living the character; combine that with Patrick Fugit's character increasingly turning into a one-dimensional heel (and without the subjective and unreliable perspective that excuses some of the same issues with Repulsion), and it feels a bit as if the film gets away from itself, turning into a showy play and losing its grip on the rich emotional damage underneath. Even so, I can't argue that Queen of Earth didn't get under my skin, immersing me in this toxic relationship and plunging us so far into Moss's increasingly fracturing psyche that it becomes easy to understand why she reacts the way she does. Add to that a few doses of pitch-black comedy to move things along, and you have a very good film that isn't quite as great as it could be with a little more restraint and focus to help it stay grounded.
- Josh Mauthe
- Josh Mauthe
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