Do Not Disturb (2022)
Directed by: John Ainslie
Written by: John Ainslie
Starring: Christian McKenna, Janet Porter, Kimberly Laferriere, Rogan Christopher
DO NOT DISTURB (2022)
Written and Directed by John Ainslie
Screened at Grimmfest 2022
A couple head to Miami for their honeymoon but there’s clearly problems in their relationship that they need to work at. In an attempt to get closer, the pair agree to take the hallucinogenic drug peyote with consequences neither could have expected.
Surreal and impulsive horror thriller DO NOT DISTURB is a darkly comic yet horrific, hedonistic exploration as a couple work through their marriage problems to reveal their true desires, whether it be together or apart.
Watching Chloe and Jack together, it’s obvious they want different things. Chloe desperately wants to start a family whereas Jack seems to want to continue to have fun without any baggage holding him back. Taking the drugs together seems to be a big mistake but how big of one it is is unforeseen until they’re in the thick of it, having taken the drug again and again with each experience more confusing than the last.
I really enjoyed how the film presents the aftermath of the drug taking with the characters a bit unaware if they’re stoned or not and with clothing and placements of items changing, or appearing where they weren’t previously. It brings a real disorientation to the scene which the viewer can relate to. We’re as clueless as the characters as to what went on during their drug binge and together we try to piece together what they’ve been up to. The resulting movie feels fresh and contemporary whilst drawing the viewer into the world of Chloe and Jack with each scene starring at least one half of the couple.
Although things start out quite fun, a sinister side soon begins to emerge and this is where the excitement in the movie ramps up. Writer and director John Ainslie drip-feeds details to the viewer, teasing what’s to come and when it does, it’s quite a shock to this system. I was unable to tear my eyes from the screen such was the anticipation of what would come next. It left me wondering just how far will the characters and the movie go?
Wild and dangerous, DO NOT DISTURB is an exhilarating piece of filmmaking that takes you on its mind-bending journey that explores an array of emotions through its on-screen relationship, brilliantly performed by its two leads, Kimberly Laferriere and Rogan Christopher, who absolutely throw themselves into their roles as Chloe and Jack.
DO NOT DISTURB is a vibrant yet deliciously dark trip which lives up to its ‘Florida man’ meme stereotype.
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