Choose Your Friends Wisely with Proxy: A Movie Review

*an online screener of this film was provided by IFC Films.

Director: Zack Parker.

Writers: Kevin Donner and Zack Parker.

Cast: Joe Swanberg, Kristina Klebe, Alexa Havins and Alexia Rasmussen.

Proxy is the second thriller this film fan has seen from Richmond, Indiana based director Zack Parker. Parker continues to tackle difficult material. His first film, Scalene (2011) dealt with rape and a handicapped man. His second film is a little more fatalistic as two women participate in murder. Proxy is a psychological thriller, with a lot of surprises. An unconventional script switches protagonists at the mid-way point of the film and the result is somewhat confusing, but also unpredictable. Proxy is a serious film, which will leave many wondering: what just happened?

The story begins but does not end with the character Esther (Alexia Rasmussen). Esther is desperately lonely and she becomes pregnant to validate herself. However, she does not actually want the child. A violent attack ends the life of her child, but not Esther's desire for connection. She finds that bond through Melanie (Alexa Havins), a woman she meets at a survivor's workshop. Together, they feed off each other's deep seated wounds, until tragedy strikes again and again. And, there can be only one woman left standing.

A bond formed in hell (Esther & Melanie).

Proxy is a psychological thriller at its heart. This title deals with elements of drama and horror. But, the psychological thriller elements are the strongest. What is driving Esther to self-destruction? Very little of the character is revealed to the audience. Esther's backstory and the reasons for her stark character flaws are not revealed in the film, at all. Esther's skewed psyche is what drives the film through early portions. The second primary character, Melanie, is fleshed out a little better, in later ones. But, Melanie's psychological troubles are equally as disturbing as Esther's dysfunctions. Melanie's motivations are revealed a little more through the final moments of the film and much of Proxy's storytelling relies on the troubled psyches of both Melanie and Esther.

To change a protagonist from one to another is very unusual in film and story. Conventions are used in stories and films, because viewers can then relate to character archetypes, easily. The hero archetype, which is tantamount to Greek literature, is one that is recognizable. A hero overcomes challenges and obstacles in order to achieve a goal. This formula and use of archetypes are thrown out the window by writers Kevin Donner and Zack Parker. Instead of a conventional narrative, the writers break up the film's story into two, separate pieces. The first piece focuses on Esther, while the second mostly deals with Melanie's desire for attention. This separation of story is a little unsettling and unity suffers. Still, this unconventional approach to storytelling creates for more than a few surprises. Most, viewers will not know what is coming next, especially in the later acts.

Because of the fractured story, Proxy can become confusing at times. Proxy will bring up lots of questions. This watcher wondered: what are the character's motivations and what is driving all of these malicious actions? Melanie's motivations are only revealed late in the picture. And, there are very few hints as to why Melanie is actively seeking out tragedy. It would have been beneficial to incorporate more scenes involving Melanie's desire for media attention earlier in the picture, to make the climax more believable. Esther's backstory is missing entirely; so, her actions are very unpredictable. Also, the responses to Esther's actions are equally unpredictable. It seems there is no rhyme or reason for the characters to act in such cruel ways. Only Melanie's extreme narcissism is shown in one fantasy sequence. Overall, Proxy is a very unsettling film.

Proxy is a hard film to nail down, because the story is so complex. Although slowly paced, this title is still entertaining. This viewer would have liked to have seen more conflict initiated earlier in the film, between characters. Early interactions are too serene and more truth between characters would have created a few more sparks. Still, Proxy is recommended for those in the mood for something deeply unsettling. Parker's topics continue to be very serious and dramatic in tone. This viewer enjoyed Parker's approach to the film. But, what drives characters to behave so irrationally is what matters, not the irrational acts alone.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10 (a very complex film with complex characters, Esther comes across as a flat character, the climax was too short and over too quick, action elements are minimized).

A trailer for the film is available here, at 28DLA:

Proxy Trailer at 28DLA

A review of Parker's earlier work, Scalene, is here:

A Scalene Review at 28DLA


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