As human beings, we struggle to deal with or know what to do with trauma. We’re just not hardwired in that way. Our minds look for methods to deal with it. To allow us to function and carry on with our daily lives without being overwhelmed by events from the past. We can compartmentalise this pain or even, in extreme cases, blank it out altogether. This is the case in The Free Fall, where a young woman must try and figure out the truth.
After witnessing the violent deaths of her parents, Sara (Andrea Londo) has struggled to cope with the trauma. This culminated in an unsuccessful attempt to take her own life. She awakes in her their house with no memory of past events. Luckily for Sara, she has a doting husband, Nick (Shawn Ashmore), who on hand to take care of everything for her. With the assistance of a rather standoffish maid, Rose (Jane Badler).
The Free Fall is a twisty psychological thriller which keeps its cards close to its chest until the very end. The claustrophobia of confinement, both physical and mental, is captured beautifully in director Adam Stilwell depiction of patriarchal control. Londo and Ashmore do a great job as the (un)happy couple, but at times it feels a little unfocussed. That being said, The Free Fall does a lot of things well and creates a chilling atmosphere around its internal puzzle.
The Free Fall is released in US theatres and on VOD on 14 January.
