Alice Lowe wrote, directed, and stars in her film Timestalker. Sometimes, choosing to do so many roles can have a negative impact – but in this particular case, it’s all positive. Her vision carries the film and shapes the tone, and while everything doesn’t work, it’s a lot of fun.
Agnes is in love, and not even death can change her heart. Time and time again, Agnes falls for the wrong guy (Sam Riley), and a grisly death soon follows. Inevitably, Agnes is reincarnated, and knows she is destined to be with him – and thus the cycle repeats.
The production design of Timestalker is immediately a standout. The movie covers five or six different time periods, and each has distinctive costuming. The wigs, the clothing, and sets all truly work together to sell the space. It’s hard not to love the 1980s portion of the film the most…but it’s such a great time!
Nick Frost has a major role in this film, and I’m always a fan of his. Here, he’s playing a character that is easy to hate, and yet still manages to bring a bunch of laughs. Jacob Anderson was the real standout, though, getting some of the best lines in the film. He gives such a great performance. All of the actors are given the opportunity to have their moments of fun, and slight variations of their characters through the time period shifts ensure this.
The main recurring element at the heart of the story is Riley. Every version of his character is a bit of a moron. The “relationship” between his character and Lowe’s is quite funny while also being a little tragic. There are several motifs established early in their connection, like a red bird and heart shapes, that help build the visual style of the film. A lot of these elements make the film easy to navigate as the story moves on.
A majority of the film feels like a bit of a fever dream. There is a haze to the cinematography and the overall look of things that really builds onto the dream-like state. This pairs with the aforementioned production design to make everything feel a bit trippy. It’s a successful technique to make everything in the film work quite well.
Timestalker is a funny film that seems to have something to say, yet it doesn’t quite make its point. It was mentioned that the film took much longer to complete than originally planned. There is a possibility the point got lost in the process. While the film didn’t completely click, it was overall enjoyable.
Timestalker is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs March 8-16 in Austin, TX.
Rating: Decent Watch.
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