Ask anyone their greatest fear – the one that keeps them up at night, not spiders or heights – and the answer is typically death or dying. Our society is terrified of growing old and of death, which is the angle explored by Replace.
Immediately, Replace addresses the way we view aging in men vs. women – men are sophisticated, interesting, even more desirable sexually. “Women just… get old,” the main character, Kira (Rebecca Forsythe), laments as she expresses her disenfranchisement with age. A real, relatable fear that resonates with women is the base of the movie, which is something sorely lacking from horror – both modern and classic.
A strange and dreamy urban scene is where the film opens, dappled with lens-flared lights and an encompassing haze. Kira follows home her date, Jonas (Sean Knopp), entering his strangely decadent apartment. After a night together, Kira wakes to an empty bed. After calls to Jonas end up at voicemail, she attempts to leave the apartment. This is where the movie turns into a fever dream of sorts – disoriented, afflicted, Kira becomes something else entirely.
The soundtrack is reminiscent of Italian prog-rock alá Goblin, with sparse and tense piano bits throughout. There is a stress on sound effects – loud drops of rain pittering on the ground, a close-up of the pharmacists hands tapping, the peeling of a bandage. A fearful play on ASMR gives the viewer an unsettled focus, aligning with the narrator.
The soundtrack is far from the only Italian influence in the film. Shots of scenes bathed in red harken to Argento, with music to match. Meanwhile, the elements of body horror seem to pay homage to early Cronenberg. Bathroom scenes that call back to The Fly are a treat; still unique in its own right, the movie honors the director’s inspirations in an authentic way.
Perhaps most interestingly, the time period of the movie is ambiguous. A modern trend (think It Follows), the setting and technologies keep their secrets about just when the movie is taking place. The apartment has a refrigerator from the ’60s, the cell phones are flip phones, the medical facility (where Barbara Crampton works as a nearly-too-cheery nurse) is incredibly futuristic, and a pajama shirt worn by Kira has ‘77 splayed across it. It makes almost anything possible, as the audience cannot have any expectations for the rules of the world. This can also add to the feeling of unsettled fear the movie is to elicit.
Interesting cinematography in the form of visually interesting shots, compelling dialogue that feels genuine, and a relatable premise are wrapped into a surreal, giallo-inspired film that feels like an instant classic. While women and fem-folks may benefit from their inherent relation to the subject matter, people of all ages and gender-identities will find something to enjoy with Replace.
Replace is now available on DVD and VOD from Uncork’d Entertainment.
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