Call of the Unseen

"If you enjoy H. P. Lovecraft stories" then you will be sorely disappointed by this artistic fluff piece. Starting with a half attempt of introducing the main character in an odd world in the past, I had a hard time getting past the 'artists have different brains that don't conform' trope.

There's twists and turns but none of it feels worrisome or dangerous. The main character is pretty aloof and contrived but at least realizes at one point her parents raised her too sheltered and she needs a thicker skin. Going through the paces of 'getting life experience' a story is told but it never drew me in and then it was over. Maybe a more artistic mind would appreciate this, maybe I'm not the audience for this. Just rating on an acting and writing observation it doesn't live up to the higher rating this movie has.

On a technical and business level this is of course endlessly inspiring. A Swedish director doing a mostly self-financed feature outside of the system. But as someone who watches a lot of films on this budget level, especially Swedish, I know that having "they never do real genre films in Sweden, only pretentious dramas" as a creative driving force isn't a guarantee for a good film. Often the result is something "good enough". A film that comes technically close to a high-budget studio version of itself, but not more than that. Mostly I am split to films like this. As a low budget filmmaker myself, I appreciate the effort highly, but I am unable to see it as something more than a pure technical feat.

But what Pilerud has managed to do with "Call of the unseen" is something that feels truly personal. A story he really wants to tell, not an opportunistic attempt to show that "we can do fantasy in Sweden too". There is a calm and confidence in the filmmaking here that I honestly didn't expect. It's inspiring to see modern fantasy obviously inspired by Tove Jansson rather than Tolkien. With the same mix of fantastic elements and human questions as in the Moomin books. There are suspense here but no real traditional action. Something that gives this the unique feeling of a kids film for adults. With the adult tone lying in the themes rather than in any featured violence. The philosophical conversation between Mya and the stone creature is the high point for me. Despite the limited budget I can't sense any artistic or technical compromise in "Call of the unseen". The mix of 3D models, physical creature effects, compositing and locations footage is seamless. Pilerud really manages to create another world.

Who the intended target audience for this unusual cinematic experience might be remains an uncertainty.

Somewhat overstated story-wise but with a climax well worth waiting for.

All in all, a curious adventure film greatly enhanced by its mysterious atmosphere, two impressive leads and a sensitive musical score.

The story follows art student Mya (played by Nathalie Merchant, star of "Calypso") who loses all faith in her own work following a ruthless take down by the curator of coveted gallery Factory 5.

However, just as she is about to give up, Mya's creative enthusiasm is rekindled by Thomas Arkwright, an unconventional lecturer at the Art School (played by Alan Adler). Arkwright becomes Mya's mentor and the sensitively portrayed relationship between the two of them forms the basis for Mya's subsequent voyage of discovery. For this moving portrayal10/10.

I didn't expect much from this film, but it pulled me right in. Loved the atmosphere and the feeling it had. Some people claim there's a big Lovecraftian influence here, but I don't see it. Not that many tentacles to be honest. The story was fine. Could have been better, but to quote Todd Howard "it just works". I don't know the actors, but they did a good job portraying these characters. Overall I hope this director will carry on with his work, so we can get even better movies from him in the future. This was a surprise, but a welcome one. Watch it... or maybe you already did? Time holds no dominion here.

Nathalie Merchant plays Mya Westbrook a struggling artist with a lack of true imagination, her work is very stoic and sterile paintings of buildings and things she sees which makes for very boring art. What she needs is a firm kick in the pants to open her eyes to her minds eye. Enter Thomas Arkwright (Alan Adler) a most unique art teacher with a knack for painting visions or dreams in his mind. He is taken in a vision to a far away imaginary land and Mya sets off to find him. On her way she experiences imagination like no other in the travels she makes across the sea. If you are an artist, you will totally get what is being portrayed in this film to stimulate a rich imagination that will be put to paint in a very beautiful way by Mya when she gets home again as a new person. Nothing questionable, no nudity or foul language. A very unique plot and story like no other. Enjoy!