Fantasia 2017: Poor Agnes Movie Review

Director Navin Ramaswaran held the World Premiere of his crazy character-driven thriller, Poor Agnes, on July 19th, at the 2017 edition of the Fantasia Film Festival… and what a film! It’s a quirky flick to say the least; it’s Fatal Attraction turned on its head, and an adventurous exploration into Stockholm Syndrome. No doubt, it will surprise you, but as you baffle at your own awkward laughs, you’ll also be left wanting more of this slightly disturbing film.

To give you some insight about the plot:

Poor Agnes Synopsis:

A pixie-faced tomboy with wide eyes and a button nose, Agnes (Lora Burke) is a serial killer. She kidnaps and tortures men before murdering them, and she’s good at it. Ambitious, cunning, and narcissistic, Agnes hides in plain sight within a rural town while defining her own systems of sport and romance. When Mike (Robert Notman), a private investigator, shows up on her doorstep to look into the cold-case disappearance of one of her early victims, she seduces him and traps him in her basement. Through an unlikely alignment of survival strategy and remorselessness, Agnes bonds with Mike, and he becomes a willing participant in their psychological power game. The circumstances of their curiously morbid relationship progress as their dynamic evolves, and the film is sent into an engrossing tailspin.

For Mike, Agnes is at first an investigation, but then he finds himself oddly attracted to her, and within the same first meeting he ends up having sex with her on the kitchen counter. But the tides quickly turn when Agnes coldly leaves the room and returns with a shotgun… and a new captive. Mike resists, of course, but soon he’s playing a part to placate Agnes, an act that quickly becomes his new reality.

Despite the movie’s dark plot, there are moments of levity, well actually there are plenty such moments, as this horror/thriller could also add dark comedy to its description. The two most memorable involve a baseball bat and the other a checkout clerk. Keep your eyes peeled for those scenes.

Also, keep alert for the outcome of Poor Agnus.

Rock Hard \m/