Apples – A Thoroughly Intoxicating Gem

For our interview with the co-writer/director of Apples, Christos Nikou, click here.

Christos Nikou’s quirky science fiction drama, Apples, is the sort of meditative, emotionally sensitive arthouse film that will appeal to fans of highbrow genre pictures. Its concept is oddly reminiscent of one of those young adult fiction adaptations that were all the rage in the mid-2010s, but Nikou takes a fairly mature approach to tackling this material. He prompts audience members to seriously question whether societal pressures cause human beings to lose touch with their interests and passions as a result of the fact that they are encouraged to seek acceptance from their peers. It accurately documents how it feels to be lonely and fearful of developing emotional bonds with other people, allowing the film to rise above other high concept dramas that hinge entirely on the possibility of a health crisis occurring.

Apples takes place in an alternate reality in which a memory loss plague swept through Europe in the early 2020s. The vast majority of people have been afflicted with amnesia, leading to local governments setting up rehabilitation centers intended to help patients recover from the condition. They are encouraged to enroll in a program that provides them with the opportunity to develop new interests and form the personality traits that will make up their identity. Aris (Servetalis) is a moody young man who desperately wants to enter back into ordinary society. He is dedicated to following the different steps in the program, but finds that he is dissatisfied with the end result of his efforts. His struggle to reform his identity continues, as he begins to realize that it might not be possible to alter his emotional state by simply carrying out menial tasks.

Much of the film seems to take place in Aris’s mind, as he looks out at completely foreign landscapes and attempts to lay down roots in a constantly changing society. Audiences are constantly reminded of the fact that Aris lacks control over his own life by Nikou’s use of framing. He constantly disrupts our sense of perspective by setting up shots in which Aris initially appears in the foreground, before drifting into the background so that another character can take his place. This sort of misdirection plays a significant role in determining how we come to examine this material. Apples is deliberately paced in such a way that while audiences are watching, they might have trouble figuring out exactly what’s going on. Its real appeal ultimately lies in how it sparks discussion between viewers. The film leaves so many thought provoking questions hanging in the air and dares them to draw links between contemporary political conflicts and the struggles depicted in some of the film’s most harrowing scenes.

Audiences shouldn’t go into the film expecting big payoffs or shocking twists. It is more of a mood piece than a traditional genre picture and one does need to remain patient while digesting the experimental passages that dominate the second act. Those who choose to look at cinema as a purely visual art form will be thrilled by the fact that dialogue rarely intrudes upon scenes in which Aris displays his quiet, introspective side. Nikou crafts several hypnotic sequences in which we watch a miserable Aris try and fail to pick up new skills. He accurately observes the inner conflict that human beings have to wrestle with when confronted with the issue of not having a natural aptitude for riding a tiny bicycle or photographing flora and fauna. Aris’s growing apathy is acutely felt and his perseverance begins to seem like plain stupidity after a while, as it becomes increasingly clear that he has no clear ambitions in mind.

In the end, Apples is a bleak little drama but its most depressing moments are balanced out with occasional dashes of dark humor. A synthesis between a wide variety of different genres is achieved and this allows the project to transcend some of the limitations that its basic premise places upon it. Most cinephiles will assume that they know exactly where this tale is going but they’ll get the shock of their lives when they realize that this is not just a bland hunk of misery porn.

still courtesy of Cohen Media Group

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Zita Short

I am passionate about screwball comedies from the 1930s and certain actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. I’ll aim to review new Netflix releases and write features, so expect a lot of romantic comedies and cult favourites.