Hypochondriac
Will, a young Hispanic gay potter, is one gregarious guy. His boss is terrible, but he's got a great boyfriend and a great job. Unfortunately, behind that veneer is a dark past of violence and mental illness that he is desperate to keep hidden. When his bipolar mother comes out of the woodwork after ten years of silence, he begins exhibiting unexplainable symptoms. After an injury at work, he starts losing functioning of his arms, and something sinister lurks in the corner of his vision: a silent and ominous man in a wolf costume. Will spirals into an obsession, determined to solve this mystery of his own. What is going on with his arms? Can he trust his boyfriend? Is he becoming his mother?
I'm a sucker for scary movies with queer protagonists. When people's queerness is not the main topic to be explored, but one more component of their journey, the plot thickens. When queerness is the main issue at stake, we get Brokeback Mountain (at best, we can get Call Me By Your Name) and that means that tragedy is sometimes imminent.
With Hypochondriac (which was shown at SXSW and then is gonna get a wider release in April) I am excited because it's a horror movie (love those, even though I scream like a little girl watching horror movies, sue me) but also because it could be an exploration of mental illness as the cause of trauma. Totally hooked by that premise. We may get tragedy, but one totally different to the one that so many gay protagonists get.
This kind of gives me Donnie Darko (one of my fav movies! Yummy Gyllenhaal). Fear of diagnosis or fear of suffering the same fate as a relative are topics worth exploring with a gay protagonist and I think we'll get that with Hypochondriac. The Werewolf/Beast as a hope for cure is also attractive.
Are you game? I'll bring the popcorn...
XOXO
P.S, and you thought the Oscars were boring...
It could give rise to the investigation of the genetic predisposition to certain diseases. Anguished or not, do you know that movies of this type are probes in the abysses of the human soul?
ReplyDeleteTotally!
DeleteI think they went that way with Hereditary. And you know that there's no better (or worse) horror that the one that comes from whitin?
XOXO
I love a good horror flick. I’ve got a couple queued up in my watchlist. And horror isn’t always gore, it can be psychological. Add a gay element and it becomes so much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteXOXO 👨🏼❤️💋👨🏽
Oh, I love horror movies but they scare me!
DeleteLOL
And I cannot take body horror or slasher movies. Psychological horror is where's at.
Just add Gay and I'm there.
XOXO
The gay orientation adds a layer of complexity to a character we don't often get to see. A good psychological horror film is great. SXSW is serious stuff - you're playing with the big boys there!
ReplyDeleteWill Smith's stunt should've had him immediately escorted from the building. There was discussion about doing just that and they caved because of his nomination. I call bullshit. He assaulted a presenter on live international television. Then had the nerve to shed crocodile tears and extoll respect and peace and love? I call bullshit, again. Lost all respect for him. Why would anyone be insulted to be compared to the character in "G.I. Jane in the first place? A VERY fierce female character. But, what do I know? XOXO
Is it scary scary? Because movies like that terrify me and then I can't sleep at night. Like supernatural evil? Then I definitely can't watch it. Or is it a scary sinister, like Halloween? That I can put up with.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how scary it could get.
DeleteI'm thinking it's could get a turn towards the psychological or maybe paranormal?
Ohhh Halloween (the original) is sooo scary!
XOXO
While I love the suspense, when a meat hook or chainsaw comes up from out of the floor, I have to leave the room.
ReplyDeleteOh, I can't with body horror.
DeleteGore freaks me out. This seems to be more suspenseful than anything.
XOXO
I love horror, and popcorn... so of course I'm in. Sounds like an excellent movie. I just saw two good and scary as hell horror movies, one was called Shortcut, and the other was a Spanish movie subtitled...can't recall the name, but it was disturbing as hell. I love Donnie Darko.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the dress code cutie for the movie night?
Minimalist 😎
DeleteYes! Horror and popcorn are a perfect combo.
DeleteAnd was Shortcut the one with the school kids in the bus? Because if it was that one, I watched it too!
Donnie Darko is the ish.
And the dress code is probably minimalist. I know what Huntley has in mind...
XOXO
OPPS...Short Cut I meant!!!!! A mysterious creature terrorizes five teenage friends after their bus takes a shortcut on a desolate road in the wild.
DeleteMinimalist? Well from the next post I can wear a jockstrap if you two don't mind?
Yes! That's the movie. It was creepy and scary and very good.
DeleteAnd don't tease Huntley with the idea of a jockstrap. Right now he may be making plans...
LOL
XOXO
These types of movies are not my faves, generally speaking. However, I did like Donnie Darko the one time I saw it.
ReplyDeleteDonnie Darko apparently has a following!
DeleteAnd I like suspenseful, intense movies. More like character studies, where you get invested in the action.
I want to see this one.
XOXO
Love horror movies, particularly when you can't really tell if it's all in the characters' heads or, if there is a real scary monster.
ReplyDeleteDonnie Darko was fantastic! I used to watch it a lot years ago. I watched it again last year and still found it great!
OMG yes!
DeleteWhen you don't know if the evil they perceive is outside or if it's all in their heads? Plot twist!
I agree with Donnie Darko. such a cool premise.
XOXO
So... disappointed the protagonist ABSOLUTELY ALWAYS HAS TO HAVE the perfect job and the perfect boyfriend (you left out the apartment that "how one earth does he afford that???" Okay... put it aside. And, of course, everyone is traditionally handsome because, as we know all to well, gays only want to see pretty (right???) ALL THAT aside (I am such a drama queen today, but one with an axe to grind)(chop-chop)... I WANT TO SEE THIS. I love horror movies - especially psychological ones where there is a lot of damage and who knows what the real truth of a given situation actually is (wait for the end, dear.) So, I would happily sit on your couch and munch some corn. This sounds like a lot of fun (despite previous rant.) Thanks for dropping the 411 (or whatever kids say these days - surely they don't say THAT anymore.) KIZZES! (p.s. may be having a bit of a manic episode... just fyi.)
ReplyDeleteHahaha
DeleteOh, Upton. You know that when they paint all normal and good shit is gonna go DOWN. And the horror movies with the plot twist are the best. And can you imagine sitting down and trying to figure out what the hell is going on with this one? Fun!
And I don't mind the manic. Your comments always make me smile!
XOXO
You should have included the trailer.
ReplyDeleteBut Dave,
DeleteThere is no trailer. That's why I included the SXSW description and the video with the director and main actor....
XOXO
Dang! Flippin' Blogger!!! What happened to my comment? Ah, well... XOXO
ReplyDelete