HOME INVASION
Utterly fascinating, this documentary horror hybrid effectively puts the fear of God into the audience. The film begins by sharing the history of each incarnation of what we now refer to as the “Ring” security camera, each inspired by a recurring nightmare. Historical recounting gets the creepy treatment with a random subject’s security footage playing in its fisheye lens version behind the storytelling text. There is no formal dialogue. This voyeuristic nightmare is unlike anything we’ve seen before, featuring videos of everything from natural disasters to doorstep theft and animal encounters to delivery people behaving badly and creatively.
The score is bone-chilling, with its piano cords striking. It’s something straight out of hell. But, the film is even scarier than it initially appears when we learn the global and societal impact of advancing technology. Cinematic tropes alone reflect the world’s potential terror. Fantasia 2023 audiences get a taste of a film that would be a perfect Fall statement at MoMA. HOME INVASION is exceedingly disturbing. If anything, it reminds you how quickly the scales of good and evil tip. It will haunt you.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
Official selection – Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival 2023
Berlin International Film Festival 2023
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 2023
DIRECTOR
Graeme Arnfield
PRODUCER
Graeme Arnfield
WRITER
Graeme Arnfield
SOUND DESIGNER
Sarah Naylor, Baudoin Oosterlynck
EDITOR
Graeme Arnfield
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Giedrius Kiela and Gabija Bargailaite play Paulius and Indre, respectively. Each brings qualities of pain. Kiela’s aggression has the audience in a death grip. His volatility is frightening. Bargailaite is more subtle. Her unraveling happens in a finale that breaks you. They are hypnotizing. 
Slick editing and long takes on a stationary camera make the audience an unwilling witness to Paulius and Indre’s plans. The script’s structure leaves much to the imagination as clues come slowly. My mind swirled as I watched Paulius walk Indre through the crime’s timeline. You feel compelled to keep watching. As someone whose close friend died under mysterious circumstances years ago, the unresolved pain and trauma are palpable. The need to understand and reason with the devil never fades, no matter how many years go by. PILGRIMS captures the very messy essence of grief.
Pietro’s father only begins to invest his interest in his son’s life when his abilities might benefit him financially. The juxtaposition of his father and Professor Moretti is ceaselessly absorbing. Pietro’s friends slyly represent the adults in the film, each playing a separate role in their treatment of his potential gift. The issues of class, old world vs. new, and family dynamics loom large in the narrative. The film mixes elements of skepticism, belief, science, and faith. It is undeniably intriguing, richly shot, and brilliantly performed.
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As Carl’s chances for individualism seem to dwindle, augmented audio in transitional scenes complements visuals of deterioration. The primarily static 16mm camerawork gives the film a documentary feel, as does the often sparse dialogue and long takes. The intensely funny town gossip and local far-right ignorance come together to paint a picture of global tension. 
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