Why have we been conditioned to accept time as a linear construct, and what would happen if we could push beyond these arbitrary concepts? If you get a tingle out of reading those words together, the new film Flashback from sophomore director Christopher MacBride should give you a lot to ponder after your head has hit the pillow. If you already feel disoriented, this viciously opaque feature is going to be the source of a lot of teeth-grinding frustration. Flashback is a story that makes sense – kind of – in its own mind molding way, but it is one that will leave the casual viewer completely untethered after a single viewing. It is not preferable to have a director giving away all of his intentions in the commentary track, but in this instance the helpful hints go a long way towards making this a story you can process in a satisfying way.
Dylan O’Brien (Love & Monsters) stars as Fredrick Fitzell, your typical young man who is making a living in a “cubicle factory” as an information analyst while living a comfortable life in a sleek, modern apartment with his gorgeous girlfriend, Karen (Hannah Gross, Joker) – thankfully she does not live up to the cultural meaning her name has taken on. Everything appears more or less picturesque outside of the heartbreaking development that Fred’s mother (Liisa Repo-Martell) is dying in the hospital with her memory nearly completely gone. There is something about this lack of cognitive awareness that fundamentally upends Fred’s life. First there are the tiny little rebellions against social constructs, such as driving the wrong way down a one-way alley. There is more to it than this, though, as Fred begins to experience minor lapses from reality that might just have something to do with events he experienced over a decade ago in high school.
Visions of the past focus in on Cindy (Maika Monroe, It Follows), a former classmate who one would consider a “lost soul” thanks to her burnout appearance and general disinterest in school. Oddly, no one really has any memory of what ever happened to Cindy, but flashes of a particular night with Fred and their friends seems to be the last known sighting of her. Of course, this was also the time when a mysterious recreational drug called Mercury was going around so the details are a little hazy. Fred becomes fixated on unlocking the truth of the past, which requires reconnecting with dealer Sebastian (Emory Cohen, The OA) and drug journeyman Andre (Keir Gilchrist, Atypical). The more Fred and his former friends dig into the past, the more untethered he becomes from the reality that he has constructed during the intervening years. Scenes from the present back to his time as an infant play in a loop within his brain with an increasing frequency, ultimately leaving Fred to sort through the simultaneous truths that are raining down on him.
From a visual and technical standpoint, Flashback is really quite striking as psychedelic images take you on a journey that leaves you as disoriented as the characters on screen. The editing of the story leaves you purposefully adrift as you struggle to get a grip on what is real in these various points of existence. This is something of a losing battle, though, as interpretations of this will vary wildly depending on the person. One of the only concrete aspects of the film is the incredible performance from Dylan O’Brien in the lead role. The increasingly-talented actor must juggle a lot throughout this narrative as he seamlessly segues between states of being in a manner that is quite astounding. Maika Monroe is given noticeably less depth as the object of obsession who scarcely amounts to more than a two-dimensional ideal of a girl who wants to experience “everything.” There are highly emotional aspects to this film, but the secondary characters are given so little to cling to that it blunts the impact somewhat.
For a film very much concerned with simultaneous realities, it is interesting that Flashback can simultaneously be thrilling, perplexing, cathartic, messy, confident, and a gambit of others conflicting emotions. I am confident that there is an audience who will become as obsessed with this film as Fred is with discovering what happened to Cindy. Each subsequent viewing will mean something new to them as they pick up on little oddities within the narrative. Others will get exasperated after the first disorienting viewing and write it off as an impregnable misfire. Christopher MacBride may not always connect the dots in the most assured manner, but he has succeeded in crafting a story that will give a particular type of audience member the thrill of trying to find meaning in it all.
Video Quality
Flashback comes to Blu-Ray in a detailed 1080p presentation in its 2.38:1 original aspect ratio that is quite strong in high definition. The clarity throughout is outstanding when not trying to replicate the hazy, drugged out headspace of the characters. In neutral times, there are subtle flourishes in the production design that come through perfectly. Color saturation is great with the color palette graded strongly towards blue or yellow depending on the situation. This is a film that is bathed in shadow pretty consistently throughout the runtime. Black levels are deep and do not fall victim to any noticeable digital noise or errors of the sort. Skin tones are natural to the lighting conditions, although a lot of exposed skin is covered in all manner of cuts, bruises and track marks as the story goes along. The film employs an intentionally hazy aesthetic to mirror the lack of clarity that Freddie is experiencing in his mind. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has delivered a pleasing high definition presentation here.
Audio Quality
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is extremely engaging, and it never fails to deliver something truly unbelievable. The soundscape on display here is very rich thanks to the way in which Freddie’s mind is experiencing different realities smashing into one another. This film is not meant to be a full-throttle action film, but there are moments where certain kinetic sequences pack a bigger punch that one might expect. There are moments in this track that feel almost assaultive to the audience in their intensity. Dialogue comes through crystal clear with none of the information feeling lost to the music in the film or the sound effects. All of the effects have a nice sense of direction within the mix with noises such as the mental collapse really springing to life. The movie uses environmental sounds to great effect, and the track retains strong detail even in the more chaotic developments. There are numerous moments that make good use of the low end. The track is an unexpected powerhouse from start to finish.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer and Director Christopher MacBride delivers an enlightening commentary track which helps put a large portion of the more abstract elements into perspective. While you shouldn’t have to listen to a commentary track to understand a film, I will admit this helped me a lot.
- Deleted Scenes: Three scenes of unused material totaling four minutes are included here which showcases a visit to the doctor, another version of the crew tripping in the school basement and a scene of the guys entering the main creepy building.
- Trailer: A two-minute trailer for the film is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Flashback is a very ambitious puzzle of a film that will both thrill and exasperate depending on who you ask. Dylan O’Brien delivers one of his most assured performances yet in a film that otherwise underutilized the talent at its disposal. This is a narrative that has a very particular point it wants to make, but whether or not you want to invest time in trying to decipher that point is up to you. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that features a very strong A/V presentation and a supplemental package that feels more necessary than normal to understand the film. If you enjoy head-trippy films, you owe it to yourself to see if you find meaning in the chaos. Recommended
Flashback is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
