The Monster at Home: Claustrophobia and Control in M W Daniel's 'Beyond Mamushi'
- 10 hours ago
- 2 min read
In M W Daniel's 'BEYOND MAMUSHI' we follow Kate Andrews (Corina Jayne) and her seemingly idyllic partner, Chris (a chilling Gary Cross), whose mask of devotion slowly slips to reveal a sadistic, controlling monster of a man.
In the film's opening moments, we see Kite flying a bright rainbow-colored kite amongst the backdrop of a cold, murky day. Flying kites is traditionally associated with sunny, breezy days, leisure, and childhood joy. Launching it into a dreary, gray sky acts as a visual rebellion. The kite becomes a beacon of stubborn positivity against a backdrop of sorrow and depression.
Earning its title from the deadly Japanese viper, the film uses the Mamushi as a metaphor for Chris himself. He is a cold-blooded predator coiled tightly around his prey, hiding behind the guise of a caregiver within the inescapable trap of their isolated home. But maybe Kate's isolation and mental health become more aligned with this metaphor the deeper she descends into chaos.
As Chris physically cuts Kate off from the outside world and withholds her vital medication, the film plunges the audience into the depths of isolation and despair. We are dragged down with Kate into a deeply claustrophobic, suffocating nightmare where her sanity begins to slowly deteriorate, and the agonizing line between waking reality and hallucinations is blurred.
The film clocks in at a breezy 50 minutes, keeping the pacing tight and intense but ultimately leaves you wondering what a feature length adaptation would look like. The film toes the line between being a short film and a feature length film and while its brisk in pacing it would have benefited from a longer running time to flesh out some of the finer details. 4
The film is well shot - both gritty and beautiful bolstered by a haunting score that accompanies our ultimately intrusive viewing of a woman's psychological collapse.
The film ends very similar to how it began, but that defiant act of flying the kite amongst the dreary backdrop no longer has a tinge of hope. There's no wind left to lift up. Instead, it lays flat on the ground signaling the loss of hope and possibility.
The film touches on deep issues and is a realistic, tough depiction of mental health struggles coupled with domestic abuse and manipulation. Tread lightly but enjoy the ride.
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