I saw the premiere of Medusa at Cannes Film Festival and had no expectations whatsoever. I was totally gripped throughout and immediately invested in the narrative and characters. The colour palette of the movie is intense; oranges, reds, greens and neons- all deeply symbolic. The soundtrack is amazing and helps to keep the pace moving along. Bruna's performance is layered and career defining. I loved how stylised the film is. The unapologetically feminist conclusion makes this film feel totally relevant and a definite one to watch. Would highly recommend.
Plot summary
Mari and her friends broadcast their spiritual devotion through pastel pinks and catchy evangelical songs about purity and perfection, but underneath it all they harbor a deep rage. By day they hide behind their manicured facade, and by night they form a masked, vigilante girl gang, prowling the streets in search of sinners who have deviated from the rightful path. After an attack goes wrong, leaving Mari scarred and unemployed, her view of community, religion, and her peers begin to shift. Nightmares of repressed desires and haunting visions of alluring temptation become undeniable and the urge to scream and release her paralyzing inner demons is more powerful than ever before. A neon-tinged genre-bender that gives provocative form to the overwhelming feminine fury coursing through modern life, MEDUSA dares us not to look away.—Music Box Films
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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'Paradise Lost' meets 'The Purge' meets 'The Master'
Know your role
No pun intended - the movie has a lot of things for the viewer to discover. Some are subtle, others are quite on the nose. It doesn't hurt if you are a bit aware of politics in Brazil - but it also is a gender role (play - again no pun intended). You could compare it to other things that portray patriarchy - Handmaids Tale for example.
There is also a lot of religious themes in it - the Christian selfie being one of the most on the nose things in it. But also one that can be seen as the most funny - depending on how you perceive it and what kind of humor you dig.
But the movie overall is more serious - if anything you can laugh about things because you can see how strange and wrong they are. Unfortunately many of the things portrayed are still happening around the world. Brazil elected a new leader ... and maybe that will change certain things. Though the riots a few weeks ago may not be the most promising sign ... let's wait and see.
Filmmakers are here to hold a mirror and show society what is going on ... not an easy movie to watch and many long scenes (pacing may feel like its dragging) ... but very well shot and fantastically acted!
symbolic + gripping + funny
Medusa was both ominous and funny with very well executed satire of religion. The symbolism that filmmaker incorporated was so powerful. The film was also aesthetically beautiful to watch and has an excellent soundtrack. A gripping and engaging film, highly recommend.