ScreenFish

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Donald Logue

Door Mouse: Facing Modern Monsters

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Hell hath no fury like a Mouse scorned?

Written and directed by Avan Jogia, Door Mouse tells the story of Mouse (Hayley Law), a comic-book creator who earns her living working at a burlesque club. Hanging out with her friend Ugly (Keith Powers), Mouse carries herself with confidence and strength, even if she can?t seem to catch a break. However, when young women from her circle begin to disappear, Mouse scrambles to find out the truth about her friends, even if it means stepping deeper into the shadows.

Unflinching and uncompromising, Mouse is a neo-noir that burns with heat. The noir genre is often imitated with its filtered colours and voice-over narration but, frankly, it doesn?t always leave an impact. However, Door Mouse has such a fury in its soul that one cannot help but be drawn in. Through bleeding colours and endless shadows, Jogia creates a world that simply feels broken. The lines between right and wrong have all but been eliminated, leading to a world of blended morals and endless compromises. 

At the same time though, Jogia gives his film a punk rock flare that fuels it with energy. Although the air is heavy, there?s a frenetic nature to the film that builds in intensity as it unfolds. (This is best exemplified by Jogia?s use of graphic novel art to tell some of the film?s most brutal moments.) This unique blend of styles leads to a truly fascinating piece that digs into the evil of our world as it looks for some (any?) good.

Leading the charge though is an absolutely fiery performance from Law. As the emotionally disconnected and electrically-charged artist, Law is absolutely magnetic onscreen. Traditionally, the noir protagonist carries under a hard-nosed persona but requires a certain charisma but the strength of Law?s performance shines through. Despite living in a broken-down apartment, Mouse is an empowered woman, confident and fearless in all she does. Although she isn?t looking for trouble, neither does she accept it amidst her own circle. As such, Law steps into in this world with a burning fuse, willing to get her hands dirty if it helps protect and empowerd other young women.

Now, having said this, Door Mouse may not be for everyone. As is keeping with the genre, Mouse?s journey takes her into some dark and disturbing corners of modern society. As a result, it?s worth noting that Mousemay be uncomfortable viewing for some?and, in fact, it is meant to be. 

After all, Door Mouse is very much a story that wants to explore the nature of today?s monsters. Without giving away any spoilers, the toxicity in this world is tied the need for power. Whereas classic noir films like Kiss Me Deadly and Chinatown exposed issues of their day like corruption or the nuclear threat, Door Mouse focuses on some of the seediest realities of our world, such as trafficking and exploitation. Willing to sit in the shadows of evil, Jogia points out that the truest demons of our time are those that prey upon the autonomy of others, 

Even so, he also acknowledges the power of sharing stories that shed light on oppression. For instance, Mouse?s artistic expressions become a voice for the voiceless, causing a stir amongst the community who clamour to know the truth. (?People want to know what happened?,? Mouse is reminded.) In this way, Jogia acknowledges the fact that darkness may be pervasive? but the real heroes are those that are willing to kick against it by speaking out.

In the end, Door Mouse should be a special viewing for fans of neo-noir. Blending styles and genres, there is a grit to this film that is palpable, making it one of the more memorable examples of this style in recent memory. Jogia understands the tropes of the genre yet makes them entirely his own.

Needless to say, this?Mouse?has teeth.

Door Mouse is available in theatres and on VOD on January 13th, 2023.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City – Going Back to the Beginning

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Set in 1998,?Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City?invites the viewer to Raccoon City, a once-booming town that housed pharmaceutical mega-corporation known as the Umbrella Corporation. However, after the company abandoned the area, Raccoon City has become a dying Midwestern wasteland. Despised by locals and ignored by the rest of the world, the city has been left in shambles on the surface with a growing toxicity bubbling underneath. When that evil is uncovered by former resident Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), she returns to attempt to rescue her brother Chris (Robbie Amell) before it?s too late. However, as the night runs on, the damage left by the Umbrella Corporation begins to surface, wreaking havoc on those who live in the area.

Beginning with the video game and evolving into a successful cinematic series starring Milla Jovovich,?Resident Evil?has remained in the pop culture canon now for over 25 years. Whereas Jovovich’s series had a certain campiness to the material,?Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City returns the sci-fi franchise to its more horror-driven roots. Written and directed by Johannes Roberts,?Raccoon City?emphasizes the seediness of its location. Drenched by the rain and blanketed by bleeding colours, Roberts wants the viewer to?feel?the horrifying atmosphere. (It?s also worth noting that, in doing so,?Raccoon City?definitely leans more like its video game origins, which emphasized the terrifying elements of the world.) By amping up the blood and gore, clearly his intent is to entertain through terror and, honestly, it almost works. However, despite his unflinching support of the franchise?s scarier roots, Roberts? script simply relies too heavily on tropes that we?ve seen before, preventing it from becoming something truly special and unique.

Having said this, the film?s cast is clearly having an absolute blast which helps to offset any particular banality to the script. Anchored by sci-fi stalwarts Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper, Kaya Scodelario, Neal McDonough and Hannah John-Kamen, the cast are more than game for their character arcs and monster madness. However, the true gem within this film lies with Donald Logue who fully leans into his performance. While subtly is hardly a word that could be used to describe his work here, Logue always has a way of bringing depth to his characters when the material is found lacking. As a result, even in moments where the script requires scenery chewing, Logue remains infinitely engaging as the disgruntled Chief of the RPD.

Underneath?Raccoon City?s gory exterior though lies a conversation about dealing with the traumas of our past and how that bleeds into the present. Whether it?s attempting to deal with ?father figures? who have broken their souls or divided loyalties, everyone here is trying to work out their own drama. For example, having managed to escape from Dr. Birkin?s experiments as a child, Claire managed to break free from her life Raccoon City. Even so, despite the fact that she managed to remove herself from the city, she still bears the weight of her experiences. When conversations with a mysterious source confirm her fears about Umbrella?s corporate demons, she feels she must return to help her brother from avoiding the fate of others. However, at the same time, her return also forces her to work through the damage inflicted upon her by Birkin?s cruelty and, hopefully, emerge from her trauma with a newfound strength and hope.

Enthusiastically leaning into the gore, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is definitely a new beginning for the once great franchise. While the script may seem lacking at times, Raccoon City still offers enough zombie-fueled fun to make it a visual treat for horror fans. Backed by some solid performances from its cast, Raccoon City proves to be a place that you may want to visit? but you may not want to return to.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is now playing on theatres.