'Sender' Review
Release Date: --/--/-- [Festival Run]
Genre: Thriller.
MPAA: Not Rated.
The Verdict: A Maybe
A turbulent psychological nightmare that embodies the dissociation one can have while going through withdrawal, paranoia, and an extreme scheme to wean oneself off an addictive substance. If that sounds like a complicated picture to envision, then you’re in for quite a ride with Russell Goldman’s Sender.
After reluctantly attending an AA meeting, Julia seeks a sponsor, only to be met with a strange package at her door. The trouble is, she never ordered a package, and what's inside is incredibly personal; it all seems like an unusual mistake until the next box arrives, then the next one, with no end in sight.
The film opens with eerie poignancy, with Jamie Lee Curtis (Freaky Friday) sharing an experience similar to what Julia will soon suffer. She appears devastated by the latest arrival, and before the title card appears, we are left with a woman clearly on her last legs mentally. This hints at what the rest of the film has in store for the viewer.
Britt Lower (Severance) stars as Julia, the subject of this aforementioned curse. Lower offers a cynical perspective on the issues at hand, and as the trouble grows and her mysterious problem intensifies, her portrayal of this turmoil is quite extraordinary. It’s haunting, concerning, and a little dumbfounding to watch her wrestle with her own reality until the final piece of the puzzle is in place. Alongside Lower, David Dastmachian (Street Fighter) shares most of the screen time, playing a bizarre delivery driver seeking… possibly companionship. Dastmachian is immediately radical in his movements and conversations with Lower. Still, as the problem continues, his awkwardness almost becomes a comfort as she loses her sanity—an unlikely pairing with a mere chance of finding a solution.
Rhea Seehorn (Pluribus) plays Whitney, a person similarly struggling with addiction, who never wanted anything to do with Julia but, through her paranoid state of being, has become her first ring whenever a concern arises. This contact takes priority over Julia’s flesh-and-blood sister (Anna Baryshnikov, Idiotka), who naturally irritates Julia whenever she appears, making Whitney's false sponsorship all the more real, albeit forced.
As stated quite a few times, paranoia is a major theme, and it stems from a clear issue with abuse; the direction is chaotic, but purposefully so, to let the audience feel the erratic behavior of our lead. At times it's difficult to follow, and the dots aren’t all connected by the close, but the idea and the actions within start a discussion of the possible messages. It’s a film that's incredibly difficult to categorize into a genre, incredibly difficult to break down, and ultimately one you need to experience firsthand to know whether it’ll truly click. For me, I am in the middle: I wish some elements were more sharply defined in their messaging, and that the reasoning behind the mystery had a more dialed-in explanation. Still, ultimately, despite these flaws, I left visually immersed in the clutter and fully invested in the deep dive into Julia’s fluctuating sanity due to the impressive performances throughout.
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