[Film Review] When I Consume You (2022)

There is nothing in the world like an independent horror film that moves to the beat of its own drum. Shirking cliché and formula, When I Consume You offers a wholly unique experience for the viewer, requiring a bit of patience, and delivering heartbreaking terror. Perry Blackshear first made his mark on the genre world in 2015 with the fantastic They Look Like People, a paranoid psychological mindfuck, and he’s back in top form with When I Consume You; equally impactful while delving deep into the effects of childhood trauma and the strength of the sibling bond. 

Libby Ewing and Evan Dumouchel (They Look Like People) star as Daphne and Wilson Shaw, siblings with a troubled past who must work together to fight a mysterious stalker. Daphne, a recovering addict, has clearly spent a lifetime caring for Wilson, an isolated man who suffers from debilitating anxiety. The relationship is a loving one, but the impact of their trauma is present at every turn, and when Daphne’s long-time stalker re-emerges, it is quickly revealed that the ominous presence has more nefarious plans for the pair than simply hiding in the shadows.

The less revealed about the plot the better, but the heart of the story can’t be overlooked. Daphne and Wilson are survivors. They suffered through a childhood that, though the viewer is never forced to endure, is apparently awful. This aspect of the story is not lost. The dark cloud that accompanies Daphne and Wilson is borne of insidious mundanity – children getting lost in the messed-up folds of parents dealing with their own emotional wounds. 

As the story unfolds, and Wilson and Daphne’s roles are reversed, Wilson is forced to abandon his childlike naivety and evolve into the kind of man he believes could fight against the type of physical force their stalker seems to inhabit. But the ultimate battle is not one of the body, it is one of the soul.

It is troubling to watch Wilson beat his innocence down, no matter what he believes he’s fighting for. But no matter the intensity, there’s an undeniable draw to the reality in which Daphne and Wilson are running from. With few visual effects and even fewer expository cues, the viewer knows there is something evil lurking in the shadows of the Shaw family past. This is the embodiment of true horror. The realization of darkness without the ability to witness the depth of the depravity. It’s what is truly unique to independent filmmaking. Without the kind of studio interference that may insist upon speeding up the narrative to appease an audience’s limited attention span, When I Consume You manages to capture an inescapable sense of dread that constitutes the purest form of horror.

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