[Film Review] Threshold (2020)

There is something special happening within the frames of Threshold. A feeling of camaraderie amidst the chaos of the story as it unfolds. It’s unexplainable – perhaps the uber indie feel, the connection between the two main actors, watching a road trip horror in the middle of a pandemic – these things all lend themselves to the tone and aesthetic of Threshold. 

The film opens with Leo (Joey Millin) rushing to the aid of his sister Virginia (Madison West) as she is in the throes of what he believes to be a drug overdose. It is clear early on that the siblings are estranged as their interactions are tense but familiar. Leo checks her arms for needle marks, something that it’s clear he’s had to do before, but is shocked to see none. And in the blink of an eye, Virginia snaps out of her manic state and appears to be completely fine. It’s a disorienting and troublesome reunion, magnified by the reason Virginia gives for her state of mind. She tells him she is clean, but that she is cursed, and it is this curse that has her breaking down in such a violent way. 

Virginia claims to have been bound to another addict at a rehabilitation facility by a shadowy cult. Leo understandably balks, but out of either guilt, concern, or both, he agrees to go with her to find the man that she believes she was bound to. The road trip becomes a bad trip as Virginia’s condition worsens the farther from home they get, ending with an explosive discovery and an uncertain fate. 

Threshold is directed by Patrick Young and Powell Robinson and was made over the course of twelve days, on two iPhones, with a 20-page outline and a cast and crew of five. This is the something special. This group has collaborated before and the trust that is needed for such an ambitious project has obviously been built up over the years. At times the characters feel cramped with one another, angry, irritated, exhausted. These emotions feel real because they are real. Stars Madison West and Joey Millin had some time to work through an extensive backstory for the brother and sister they portray, but worked only from an  outline, often not knowing where the day would take them. It’s this gonzo style filmmaking that creates a unique feel to Threshold. The story is interesting, playing with cult horror and the unreliable narrator, and the action is sparse, but the film still manages to maintain a steady sense of dread and an underlying darkness that follows the two on their journey.

The approach to dealing with addiction and the mess it makes is unique, showing the complexities in the family after trust has been broken so many times. Leo, for all of his white knighting and sticking by Virginia’s side, has his own problems that, while not a main focus in the film, illuminates a side of him that he has a hard time facing. It’s small details like this that make these characters feel natural and lived-in, and make the audience want to continue on the journey with them, no matter how it may end. 

Virginia believes so strongly in the curse that it is easy for the genre-loving audience to put doubt aside and accept what she says. But for Leo, the need to appease her so that she doesn’t hurt herself far outweighs any truth there may be in her affliction, so that, as unexplainable things happen to Virginia, Leo cannot suspend his disbelief like we can, choosing instead to focus on Virginia’s past addiction issues. We are forced to choose sides and that choice vacillates between the two as they get further into their cross-country search for the man Virginia is bound to. Moments of true affection, such as carving pumpkins in a seedy motel room, are quickly abandoned, as Leo refuses to let Virginia use a sharp knife. Without being able to forgive and move on, they are forced to repeat the past.

As the pair careen toward an unknown conclusion, the viewer roots for them  to overcome this hardship. Whether or not Virginia’s curse is real becomes inconsequential – she deserves to be free from the affliction that has haunted her. And Leo has redeemed himself by sticking with her, no matter how hard she tried to push him away. And so in the end they drive, down a dark, lonely road, finally bonded as brother and sister, ready to face what is ahead. 

Threshold shows great restraint while presenting a terrifying story, it doesn’t feel the need to overindulge our hyperactive brains with gore, over the top effects, or second-by-second jump scares. The filmmakers know the value of a well-placed scream and trust their actors with the story enough to let them play and grow with the characters. Because of this, Threshold will be surely welcomed into the indie horror world with open arms. 

Threshold has been released on May 3rd from Arrow Video.

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