The Unraveling Analysis

The film "The Unraveling," a 2023 Rickhouse Productions entry for the Louisville 48 Hour Film Project, presents a short, intense psychological thriller that explores themes of perception, delusion, and mental illness through a distinctive surrealist and fast-paced editing style.

Directorial Style and Techniques

The director, John C. Gritton, employs several notable techniques to create a sense of disorientation and tension:

• Surreal and Abstract Visual Effects: The most striking feature is the use of glitch/distortion effects over the faces of other characters. This visual motif is key to representing the protagonist, Allen's, distorted perception of reality. When he interacts with others—his colleague, the stranger, his daughter, the nurse, and the doctor—their faces briefly blur, scramble, and are obscured with digital noise and shifting colors. * Rapid and Disorienting Editing: The editing is quick and jarring, particularly during moments of high anxiety for Allen (e.g., in the hallway and the stairwell). The sudden cuts, shifts in focus, and use of darkness amplify the feeling of paranoia and escape. The jump cuts during the chase sequence create a chaotic, claustrophobic atmosphere.

• Sound Design: The film relies heavily on a dissonant and suspenseful soundtrack filled with electronic noise, jarring sounds, and distorted audio cues. The auditory experience mirrors the visual, enhancing Allen's sensory overload and mental distress.

• Theatrical Setting as a Framing Device: The final sequence in the theater, where Allen is revealed to be the sole audience member of his own delusion, acts as a powerful, meta-narrative framing device. The red lighting emphasizes the drama and the internal crisis.

Themes and Motifs

 

• The Unraveling of Reality: The central theme is the dissolution of the protagonist's grip on reality, heavily implied to be a consequence of stopping his medication. The title itself, "The Unraveling," speaks directly to this theme, representing the breakdown of his sanity.

• Paranoia and Persecution: Allen constantly feels watched, judged, or pursued. This is evident in the lingering glances, the disturbing appearance of people in the hallway, and the chase sequence with the large male figure (perhaps a physical manifestation of his internal conflict).

• Isolation and Miscommunication: Even when people are talking to him (like his colleague or the doctor), their faces are obscured by the glitch effect, visually communicating his isolation and inability to truly connect with or understand the people around him. Their words are either incomprehensible or ignored in favor of his internal turmoil.

• Medication and Mental Illness: The brief shots of the pills and the doctor's final line—"Allen, you forgot to take your medication"—provide a clear, if abrupt, explanation for his experiences, rooting the surreal visuals in a narrative about mental health and the consequences of not adhering to treatment.

Influences and Genre

 

• Psychological Thriller/Horror: The film operates firmly within the psychological thriller genre, using suspense, distortion, and a focus on the internal state of the main character to generate horror.

• Surrealist Cinema: The use of visual distortion and the non-linear, dream-like quality of Allen's perceptions draw parallels to surrealist filmmaking, where reality is intentionally fractured to explore the subconscious mind.

• Digital/Glitch Art: The specific aesthetic of the facial distortion—resembling video artifacts or digital glitches—is reminiscent of modern digital art styles and reflects a contemporary visual language for conveying digital anxiety, surveillance, and mental breakdown.

Awards for The Unraveling (2023) – 48 Hour Film Project:

Winner: Runner Up (2nd Place) Overall Competition 

First Place: Audience Award Group A

Best Sound Design - Matthew Langston, Justin Hawkins, John C. Gritton

Best Editing - Matthew Langston, Justin Hawkins

Best Special Effects - Justin Hawkins