[Film Review] Rave (2020)

A bad trip is an understatement. 

Loud, bellowing drums are at the forefront of the opening scene while we see partygoers heading towards a mysterious abandoned factory, the primary location of Nils Alatalo’s Swedish psychedelic body horror Rave (2020). 

The ominous mood is set, and we are introduced to friends Lina and Mimmi as they discuss going to a party. Their dynamic is stereotypically based on being total opposites: Lina is the shy, overly cautious friend who dreads any social gathering, while Mimmi (played by Midsommar’s Isabelle Grill) is the careless party girl, ever so slightly resentful in having to drag her introverted best friend along with her to the wild festivities. After spending some time at the house party, the aforementioned site is brought up again, as there will be one last (illegal) rave that very night before the city’s eviction process begins. Lina is characteristically reluctant to join, but ultimately succumbs to Mimmi and company’s peer pressure, and they all set forth, drugs in hand. What could possibly go wrong?

Minimal, lacklustre dialogue and a mild case of underacting initially put Rave in the danger zone, as the first act slowly treads through scene after scene. What the film lacks in substance it makes up for in style; once we finally reach the rave, neon lights and stylish patrons take over our attention for the better. It is evident Alatalo is focusing on mise-en-scene, and he does so successfully.

The youthful debauchery continues, and doe-eyed Lina is starting to feel the effects of whatever pill she consumed. She smiles! She dances! All is well, until the effects take over her mental and physical well-being. She isn’t the only victim, however; one by one, young adults start tumbling down, passing out while expelling an unknown, dark liquid out of their bodies. This strange liquid can also be found oozing out of various parts of the building throughout the film. Whether a warning sign of impending doom or a sizable threat coming from the factory itself, it is an interesting foreshadowing tool signalling the building’s demise and making sure everyone goes down with it. 

And in comes the insanity we’ve all been waiting for: the body horror. The attendees are now zombified, unrecognizable versions of their previous selves as they wander through the compound, trying to spread the disease that has taken over. The practical effects are incredibly impressive, with a bloody efflux of guts and gore stealing the show.

Unfortunately, the interest for me stops there. Following Mimmi attempting to escape doesn’t hit nearly as hard as it’s trying to. Why root for a character who is not only a bad friend to poor Lina, but has no discernable qualities or personality, surely to help us relate and sympathize with her? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a minimalistic approach; Gaspar Noé’s hallucinogenic rager Climax explores an extremely similar premise, the difference being the latter film having characters, stakes, and consequences we can actually chew on. For Rave, I see endless visual appeal and a director who cares deeply about his craft. With his amount of ambition and promise, Alatalo is on the road to a successful filmography, hopefully with sharper narrative and equally badass practical and technical effects. 

RELATED ARTICLES

---

---

EXPLORE

---

MORE ARTICLES

---

---