The Blazing World (2021)
Directed By: Carlson Young
Starring: Carlson Young, Udo Kier, Vinessa Shaw, Dermot Mulroney
Plot Summary: Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman (Carlson Young) returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive. Through an epic journey down the darkest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge
The Blazing World (2021) marks actor Carlson Young’s feature directorial debut. Let me get real for a moment and say that if The Blazing World came out in the early 2000’s, it would most likely be a minor classic if not outright cult classic. However, since that time, we have had Pans Labyrinth (2006), a dark yet emotionally impactful fairy-tale that used breathtaking imagery to tell a harrowing and beautiful story. Not to mention Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010), and its 2016 sequel. Alice Through the Looking Glass (because this movie clearly takes inspiration from Alice in Wonderland). Thus, when I watch something like Blazing World, I can’t help but be reminded of countless films that use grief or trauma but in a way that feels more inventive and thoughtful.
Before I really dig in, I do want to give Young a lot of credit. This is a hell of an ambitious first feature film (based on her short film). She is fearless in wanting to bring her singular vision to the screen. The acting is really good with Young doing a nice job, especially having to juggle the directing as well. Udo Kier of course steals the show in a role that feels tailor written for the character actor. Vinessa Shaw and Dermot Mulroney are also great. Even bad reviews of this movie cannot help but at least give this movie a lot of credit for its pulpy, staggeringly beautiful art/production design. It’s a neon dipped surreal nightmare that harkens back to strange ‘80s fantasy driven films, only with a budget and decent CGI effects.
The thing is, though, the movie smacks of a vanity project for Carlson that wants so badly to be deep and meaningful yet just ends up feeling hollow and worst of all pretentious. Not to mention the dialogue that only highlights its pseudointellectual dribble. This is both Young’s and Pierce Brown’s first screenplay and again, its ballsy and ambitious, no doubt. I just wish that the same care in the art direction was put into the screenplay. Had that been the case, I think this could have been a stellar and widely talked about movie.
The Blazing World is a beautiful movie, well-acted and, for all its faults, was never dull. I just wish it had something original and interesting to say about some very heavy and relatable issues such as mental health, grief and dealing with trauma and making it through the other side. I can see some connecting with this, but for me it just didn’t.
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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.
