The Blazing World is a visually stunning movie that touches on the long term effects of grief and guilt in a fantastical way.
I had incredibly high hopes for The Blazing World and though they were not met, I still enjoyed this movie for what it is. The gorgeous visuals throughout the entire film make up for the times the story goes off course. The Blazing World is a trippy mix of horror and fantasy that is clearly influenced by some of the greats like Pan’s Labyrinth and Alice In Wonderland. While it tries too hard to be like these movies, when you get to the end, the overall story becomes totally worth the powering through at time.
The Blazing World is the story of a young woman named Margaret who watched her twin sister drown and die when she was a kid. As time goes on she becomes convinced that her sister is not dead, rather trapped in another dimension. The start of this movie is a bit sluggish but once she finds her way into the other dimension, it all moves up a few notches.
In this new place she discovers a dream lord, so to speak, played by the incredible Udo Kier. He is the perfect amount of creepy as he munches on his diet of flies, allowing the pink insides to run down his face. This movie is mostly about the fantastical visuals, which becomes very obvious after Margaret enters the dream world.
Many bizarre moments are sure to have you wondering what you are watching, but you won’t mind watching them as they are stunning. The lighting, the bright colors, and the different setting for each demon are so perfectly done that they make this movie what it is. I can see this becoming a cult classic for sure.
Of course this movie focuses a lot on the struggles of grief, loss, and guilt — with the final 15 minutes or so being completely eye opening and incredible. This is Carlson Young shines with a powerful performance. Her acting is fine up until that point, but this is when it peaks. Young also directs which has me really looking forward to seeing what she has up her sleeve next!
Overall Thoughts
The Blazing World is a movie that will not be for everyone, but I rather enjoyed it. The story is not perfect and is a bit muddled at parts, but this film is all about the ending, and the visual journey getting there. While it did not meet my expectations, this is still a movie I will recommend to my friends and family that I know enjoy this sort of thing.
The Blazing World is not perfect, but it will take you on a trippy and bizarre visually journey that you are sure to appreciate.
About The Blazing World
Ever since Margaret (Carlson Young) was six years old, she has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown during an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slides further into her twisted inner life, ultimately finding herself on the brink of suicide. Through an epic journey down the smokiest and scariest corridors of her imagination, she tries to exorcise the demons pushing her closer and closer to the edge.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.