First, the Recap:
Vile ambition and malicious stratagem. How impossible is it often to determine the reasoning behind a disturbed mind intent on creating chaos no matter what the cost might be? Can we ever fully comprehend the manner in which such blatant evil, with apparently no sense of feeling or remorse, can carry out a mission molded by its own twisted logic? We may have discovered a modicum of understanding when exploring the acts of a serial killer or other perpetrators of similar ilk, but what if this time, the source is someone, or something, no one wants to believe even exists? A dark force known as The Painter (voiced by Russell Peck) has arrived, with a sole goal in mind, willing to kill and destroy anything and anyone it has to to achieve a premeditated master plan. And the worst thing from it? FBI agent George Rohan (Steve Key) might just be helping cover it up while investigative reporter Reila Martin (Isabel Ellison) does everything she can do to expose him along with potentially darker machinations.
Next, my Mind:
The horror genre has always been one this critic used to avoid like the plague. Then “The Conjuring” came into being and made me realize there were styles of more supernaturally-based efforts that could deliver absolutely terrifying, skin-crawling, make-the-hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck-stand-up, utterly chilling atmospheres without all the fuss of buckets of blood and gore which still to this day don’t do anything for me. And so, as always, it was with some sense of initial trepidation I decided to take on this indie horror feature film from writer/director/producer Ryan Guiterman, producers Isabel Ellison and Betsy Shuller, co-producer Derek Berg, and executive producers Victoria Hill, David Kennedy, Stephen Stoller, and Simon Taufique as part of my various coverage of the 2021 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival line-up. What I witnessed was yet another exemplification of why indie film remains such a diverse and bold genre in the industry, willing to buck mainstream trends and tread unflinchingly into fresh territory utilizing familiar material.
Presented, in my opinion, in a format that was like watching a graphic novel literally come alive off the page, this creatively executed project thrives primarily on animation with only a minimum amount of actual live action and/or real life shots to deliver a narrative centered on a highly malevolent entity whose ideal purpose besides death and mayhem is to pull off one monumental feat that he’s only seen one other being successfully accomplish. But, in the quest to see this come to fruition, his gruesome, hyper-violent methods draw worldwide attention to the point of eventually being exposed. Along the path, an organization formed by the U.S. government that hunted him down initially now stands in the crosshairs of public scrutiny when it appears the demon’s newest actions are being covered up rather than stopped, with a particular agent and a stalwart reporter trying to end the reign of terror once and for all rather than keep falling victim to it, each in their own way.
What makes this end up being a more unique effort however is that while the film most certainly displays its supernatural horror-based elements with raw potency via ominous, surprisingly brief but still graphic images both animated and actual, the grander gist of the film soon becomes more of a character and societal exposition, which is certainly not what I was expecting at all from a film in this overall style. Seeing as the story is being told from multiple perspectives, including that of the sinister power wrecking all the havoc, we delve into explorations of deep internal guilt, others paying the price for our poor choices, the willingness to change and the associated need for redemption, abuse of authority and power through changing the facts to deny the truth, how quickly we as humanity just deny the unexplainable while allowing ourselves so often to be manipulated and convinced of anything BUT reality, and just the disastrous condition this world is really in. All of this leads to a finale that is decidedly menacing, dark, and frightening in its implications while leaving room for further expansion.
The visual artistry the film takes on really enhances the viewing experience, as the aforementioned combination of mainly animation with only the smattering of live action somehow makes the menacing aura the film carries stick out more, making your imagination run wild with just how vividly dire the circumstances and images portrayed really are, especially when it comes to The Painter himself and the nasty actions that ensue when his presence is made known to those unfortunate enough to have his hellish attentions. Peck does a fantastic job at voicing the demon known as The Painter, the vocal track maneuvered to infuse the monster with an appropriately deep, eerie, grim manner that more than befits his origins. Yet, what makes it more than “just another monster” is the warped logic behind The Painter’s endeavors and while cold, pitiless, and unmerciful, he finds humanity an unanticipated curiosity worth studying and even being perplexed by, and that for me added a dynamic you don’t quite look for in a horrific creature like this. Peck brings that essence of inquisitiveness out through her voice performance with affecting results, a credit to her acting.
Key brings a full sense of a man’s haunted past and present bearing down on him though his performance as George Rohan, an FBI agent whose got more than a few skeletons in his closet he’d rather forget and finds himself in position to potentially do so. Yet, what will it cost him to finally come out to his wife and daughter by telling them the facts about what he’s been involved with. Even as events unfold that threaten to undo him entirely, a person he once saw as an obstacle becomes a possible source of salvation. Watching how this comes about and the emotional turmoil it entails is well played by Key. Ellison likewise draws upon the tormented soul of a woman desperate to expose corruption while trying to see her own life find a path to the light via her portrayal of Reila Martin, an investigative reporter bent on showcasing Rohan’s complicity in a greater cover-up while trying to stay out of the authority’s grasp who want her silenced. Ellison does a wonderful job at bringing out Reila’s tortured state of being as well as her unwavering determination to persevere, making them tangible pressures we experience.
Primary supporting turns arrive through Mandy Bishop as Rohan’s beleaguered emotionally besieged wife Laura who only wants her family to be back to normal but may certainly not get what she desires, Juan Francisco Villa as Sam, an agent who really controls Rohan and has no interest in his sudden change of heart when it comes to the Painter killings and how its being white-washed, Sam Encarnacion as Sean, also an agent with the same government organization now turned whistleblower against them, Mia Hutchinson Shaw as Laura and George’s daughter Grace who could be placed in dire peril in knowing her father’s involvement in the situation at hand, and Marama Corlett as Maya, Reila’s jilted and equally tormented lover. Other appearances come from Tymon Brown, Elysia Mahardy, and Mini Min. So, in total, “Canvas” is a surprisingly distinctive indie horror film that indeed paints us a picture of forbidding encounters with forces beyond our full comprehension and being at their mercy, yet also showcases being prisoner to our own fears and bad decisions which could lead to reckoning we don’t see coming, and could be too late to prevent.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
