Sequence Break

 


Name: Sequence Break

Directed By: Graham Skipper

Subgenre: Surreal, Sci-Fi, Body Horror (with a touch of Romance)

Series: Spooktober 2019 entry #3; review #34

Review: The film follows Oz, a reclusive man who's content to spend the rest of his life in a dying old arcade: he lives there, runs the shop (when there's actually a customer around), fixes the arcade boxes, and spends a copious amount of time playing them. His life is upended at the arrival of two things out of the blue: a cheerful, assertive young woman who immediately falls for him, and a mysterious package containing an even more mysterious part to an arcade box. Oz finds himself enjoying his new life with Tess, yet he's pulled in by the White Eye: the arcade box, now awoken by the mysterious part mailed to him, has taken on a life of its own...and it wants to be with Oz, too. What follows is a love-letter to David Cronenberg's melding of technology and flesh as Oz and the game grow ever more connected. The problem is, Cronenberg's tales always had a heaping helping of social or cultural subtext: they had a lot to say, but Sequence Break can't seem to decide whether it wants to make a deeper point. There's probably one in there, but the film simply meanders about too much. On the upside, though: it goes all-in on the practical effects with its body horror sequences, which is the saving grace for the film. The actors do a competent job, but I found myself growing disinterested in segments before realizing that I wasn't watching a horror movie. Sequence Break is a surrealist sci-fi romance with body horror elements. If you like Videodrome or eXistenZ, then you'll likely appreciate Sequence Break--but you'll also feel disappointed by it just the same. For everyone else, it's likely too niche and surreal to be your cup of tea.




Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5 Chads suppressing the urge to flirt with an arcade box. Did Sequence Break scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: Sequence Break is available on these platforms.


Official Trailer



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