Sundance 2021: Censor Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Independent filmmakers deserve as much support as possible. I have no problem criticizing films that are backed by studios and made with a large budget or films from accomplished directors. However, I always have a tough time criticizing independent films, especially those that are made with a minuscule budget from a filmmaker who clearly still finding their footing. Unfortunately, in this case it can’t be helped.

Censor was the opening night film in this year’s Midnight program. Editor turned filmmaker Prano Bailey-Bond’s first feature swings for the fences, but misses by a long-shot. The film follows a woman named Enid (Algar), who takes pride in her out of the ordinary and uncompromising career, working as a gatekeeper to maintain censorship and ensure that certain movies do not make their way into the world. Considering Enid’s profession requires her to view explicit films day in and day out, she develops an immunity to gore and disturbing content. However, she is assigned to review an especially disturbing film that begins to have a strange affect on her, as she slowly realizes this eerie work may be ted to her hazy childhood.

Censor has a captivating premise that is undoubtedly full of potential, but unfortunately it is wasted on a trashy and aimless film that is all style and no substance. It’s clear that Bond is very fascinated with 80’s banned gore-feats and the affects that watching these films can have on an individuals. The thesis she’s striving for seems to be that the depiction of violence in horror can inevitably inspire and influence violent acts in real life (a sentiment that is certainly not unique to Censor, and has been explored far more thoroughly within the genre of horror). However, the film itself is so clearly rooted in and inspired by this brand of horror that she’s criticizing throughout the film, that it almost comes across as hypocritical by the end of its runtime.

Aside from its muddled messages, Censor features some bizarre artistic decisions that derail the film almost entirely. It indulges in the overuse of shifts in aspect ratio, which adds nothing to the film and comes across as amateurish. For a midnight selection, the film is shockingly slow, to the point where it seemed like a subversion tactic until the extremely over-the-top and incomprehensible third act kicks in. It’s only saving grace is its neon aesthetic, but even then it is visually dull compared to the films it is so clearly imitating.

In the end, Censor is a terrible film that completely wastes an otherwise intriguing premise.

still courtesy of Sundance

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Tristan French