• Release year: 2024
• Director: Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab.
• Producers: Erik Glijnis, Ineke Kanters, Leontine Petit, Dries Phlypo, Judy Tossell, and Jan van der Zanden.
• Screenplay by: Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab.
• Cinematography by: Frank Griebe.
• Music by: Stijn Cole.

Shotgun Commentary: insanity with slime and a healthy dose of rage-inducing stupidity. Good times.

Review

Mr. K is a no-way-out horror narrative that combines your average haunted hotel with Cthulhu and a dash of Else (2024). It is as weird as you might expect a movie protagonist by Crispin Glover will be. So if you know that and still want to see it, you definitely know what you are getting into.

The film is so packed with possible readings and random events that it is hard to keep track. It seems more fit for a three-hour conversation than it does for a swift review such as this one, but yours truly will do her best to get all the key points in. Firstly, let’s talk about the most juicy bit: social critique.

Being different

The most obvious bit is the jab at religion and mass stupidity. From the very beginning, Mr. K. (Crispin Glover) is made out to be the “liberator” of the people living in the hotel. However, he is just a man. One as stuck in the premises as everybody else, but with the will to find an exit.

He never thinks of himself as a saviour, and he is not interested in anybody’s attention. He merely wants to exit the building but, because he is doing things differently, people judge him. Of course, being in the spotlight can lead people to love you or hate you, which they do. From being their hero to being the most hated person in the room, the mass’ feelings are chaotic. Their action being directed by any random voice that is heard above the others, regardless of who it belongs to.

Real-life application

It might feel quirky and surreal to see it in the feature. Yet, this situation is nothing but a reflection of what happens when a society is scared and feels lost. The mass will grasp onto anyone who sounds decisive or knowledgeable, even if what they say is nonsense. Same as it will accept easy lies before hard truths.

One might argue that this is taken to the extreme for artistic purposes or to get the biggest reaction possible from the audience. Nevertheless, it could also be seen as a faithful representation that could be applicable in real life. You know, like politicians saying climate change doesn’t exist or renaming Nazi salutes as “giving out your heart to people”. It is easier to accept a comfortable fiction than a harsh reality, but ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away, and Mr. K offers the perfect example in a smaller scale.

To end or not to end

If you are a fan of endings, or things making sense in general, you will be severely disappointed with this movie. One can think of it as an opportunity to draw your own conclusions, but if you happen to be more of a realist, you will just see it as not bothering with an ending.

There is a line between original and weirdness for the sake of it, and this movie crosses it often. This might be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are as a viewer. Still, it could easily be considered as borderline lazy in this case. It isn’t hard to image the writers thinking, “we’ve made it too weird and can’t go back, let’s just fade to black without any explanation”.

Here is when your aim as a director comes to play. Are you trying to communicate something or just show us how special you are? Is it a conversation between the artist and the audience or a monologue in which the artist invents a new language out of nowhere and doesn’t care if their audience understands or not?

Final thoughts

In their defence, most of the feature is pretty straightforward. Sadly, that doesn’t change the fact that the ending is the type of content that puts you in a difficult position: you can be honest and admit that you understand the very little that is clear about it, or lie your way out of the situation and make a snobbish remark that may or may not any make sense.

All in all, Mr. K is more of a dare than a film. It is the type of content that dares you to look at the worst parts of yourself, at your behaviour and that of those around you, at the way you see and understand things. It seems to have a direction for the most part, and it is constantly daring you to look further, which is a really enjoyable experience for anyone looking for a bit of excitement in their life.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Sometimes people are not worth saving.
• Don’t let people take an inch, they will come back for a mile.
• Sometimes an obvious fact is not enough to convince people of the truth. It is frustrating, but it is what it is.

What’s your take? Have you watched Mr. K? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀