We're taking a break from our Moustache Lockdown Streaming Survival Guide to review the upcoming short film, Redisplacement (@ReDisplacement on Twitter), which will be available to watch on Dust (via YouTube) from the 14th May.
Somewhere in the near future, we find ourselves in some kind of Doctor's office. The patient, Leo (Nico Mirallegro), is undergoing some sort of psychological procedure, he's searching for something. But what is it he's searching for? And the person guiding him on his search - Doctor Michelle (Nathalie Cox) - is she really there to help him, or is she manipulating him?
A great deal of ambiguity surrounds Redisplacement, to levels bordering on paranoia. When we meet Leo, he's already beginning his procedure - a perilous deep dive into his long-term memory, using a machine that falls somewhere between the Animus from the Assassin's Creed video games and whatever it is they use to enter dreams in Inception. Witnessing events from - and yet slightly removed from - Leo's perspective, the audience is thrown in at the deep end, forced to try and figure things out on the fly. Much like Leo, you will find yourself questioning everything you see and hear. The clever use of soundtrack and visuals only add to the confusion and paranoia.
Watching Redisplacement can actually be quite un-nerving, you worry for Leo because he seems so lost. The unknowns of this story are what draw you in, the search for answers. What is this procedure? What is its purpose? And what are Doctor Michelle's true intentions? Nathalie Cox's performance as the good - or bad - Doctor is cold and distant, perfect for the mysterious nature of the story. It's impossible to know whether you can trust her. Whereas Leo is desperate, vulnerable, kind of like a lost puppy - something Mirallegro plays very well. You can't help wondering if this search will help him, or if he'll be left tumbling down this rabbit hole. Watching Redisplacement comes with a degree of audience interpretation, rather than being told/shown how things pan out, we are left to figure this out for ourselves.
Writer/director Lewis Coates delivers a fascinating exploration of long-term memory and the devastating effects that trauma can have on us. Despite its 15 minute run time, Coates has managed to mould a intriguing mystery around some very interesting characters. Redisplacement is an intense yet ambiguous, visceral journey, one that may not be far from reality.
8/10
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