Plot Summary: Maja, a Danish has-been actress, falls in love with Leah, a Jewish academic from London after a chance meeting. Leah ends up moving in with Maja, and a beautiful relationship forms. Things seem to be going great until Leah suffers a seizure, which means she must return home to London, where she lives with her mother Chana. Soon, things go from awkward to deadly as some mysterious evil force seems to be after Leah.
I really love this new trend of using the Jewish religion as the jumping off point for deeply personal and interesting horror outings. We have seen this previously with The Vigil, an incredible standout film that perfectly blended the rich tapestry of Jewish tradition and horror. Attachment also attempts to use Jewish mysticism and lore to craft a creepy indie film. That, and the fact that it also centers around a Queer couple, sealed the deal for me. However, as much as this movie ticks a lot of boxes for me, I overall found it to be a mixed bag.
The movie is strongest during its drama and romance-based through lines. At its core, Gabriel seems to have a handle on crafting a solid, even sweet romance film. Of course, the movie largely depends on its central leads to pull this off. I was happy that Maja and Leah feel like very real characters. Thanks to their chemistry, it was very easy for me to completely buy these women’s sudden and at times intense relationship. Ellie Kendrick and Josephine Park both give extremely effortless performances. In a big way, they are the glue that holds this film together. Both actors feel like they are on the exact same page with the material but can also play off one another in a way that feels authentic.
While Kendrick and Park are both fantastic, it’s Sofie Grabol who manages to steal the show, giving a memorable performance as Chana, Leah’s devoted Jewish mother. Sofie knows exactly when to bring a chilly understatement to the role and, also when to go big without ever going over-the-top. While the writing does have its fair share of issues, which I will get into, I will say its humor did win me over. The Madonna joke for example, was a brilliant moment of sardonic wit. Whilst the direction also has its problems, I still maintain that Gabriel Bier Gislason does show raw talent and, if given better material, could be a standout director.
My biggest problem here is, while the drama and the love story feel fully realized, the horror elements do not. This slow-burn movie sadly never provides anything close to any truly standout scares. It sounds harsh, but for all its high points, such as the excellent acting and visuals, it’s very underwhelming to the point of being very forgettable. Even its finale comes off painfully flat and uninspired. The end result is a narrative that feels at times underdeveloped with elements feeling very unsatisfying. In fact, having watched it twice, I still have some unanswered questions.
We also get only slight hints at what should be major plot points. For example, it was only on my second viewing that I caught a blink-or-you’ll miss it pay off to a big turning point in the film in which Maja has an allergic reaction. It makes me wonder what was cut for pacing’s sake that affected some of story’s logic. This might account for one scene where Leah and Maja are broken up and then the next they are seemingly back together like nothing happened. Gislason seems to weave a pretty interesting story, but its lack of direction and polish really sink its great first act. Had someone co-written this with Gislason, giving it more depth whilst also providing some great creepy scares, this could have had the makings of a future classic.
Attachment has shades of brilliance but, is an overall disappointment. Despite a great core concept and fantastic LGBTQ inclusion, it lacks in world-building that feels incomplete, feels aimless and brings nothing truly different to the genre.
Attachment premiered in the Midnight section of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
Directors: Gabriel Bier Gislason
Runtime: 105m
Cast: Josephine Park, Ellie Kendrick, Sofie Gråbøl, David Dencik
Big film nerd and TCM Obsessed. Author of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema from Schiffer Publishing. Resume includes: AMC’s The Bite, Scream Magazine etc. Love all kinds of movies and television and have interviewed a wide range of actors, writers, producers and directors. I currently am a regular co-host on the podcast The Humanoids from the Deep Dive and have a second book in the works from Bear Manor.