Home Entertainment: ’Plurality’ digital review

Written and directed by Aozaru Shiao, Plurality is a cyber thriller with an intriguing premise. A man awakens from a coma to discover that his mind is no longer exclusively his own. Also taking up residence are four other people – all of them dead, all of them suspects in a serial child murder and kidnapping case. The secrets held by these other personalities are the only leads in tracking down the last surviving victim, but in order to unmask the murderer’s true identity, the man must first fight the monster within himself. 

Trying to keep up with exactly what is happening within Plurality proves to be fairly difficult. The confusion for most won’t be helped by the language barrier, as following the subtitles serves to distract from what is happening on screen. The attention split is an obvious norm of watching a foreign language film, but with one that is trying so hard to be tricksy, it really gives a viewer who is unfamiliar with the native language a mental workout as they try to piece everything together. A key factor in one’s ability to fully follow events is that, much like the personas fighting for control of the host body, Plurality is forever transitioning from one genre to another. The movie begins in an entirely science-fiction setting, before becoming a road movie action film, then finally settling into a serial killer police procedural. In addition to the genre forever morphing, our host is constantly battling the other personalities within their body and it’s unclear exactly who is in control of the body at different points. This issue is exacerbated further by Shiao’s visual representation of this battle for control, as it lacks uniformity. Sometimes we see the actual character and actor change, making it super easy to identify who is in possession. In other moments the audience only sees the host acting in a different manner and it is here that it becomes difficult to figure things out. 

As Plurality morphs between genres, so too do the visuals. The medical complex in which the initial portion of the investigation happens within looks exceptionally science-fiction. Everything is clinical whites and greys, and there’s a heavy element of futurism within the surroundings that helps the viewer digest the concept of multiple consciousnesses being inserted into the one body. As the story moves outside of the facility, the appearance changes into a dirtier and grimier aesthetic, one that compliments the police hunt aspect of the story, which now inhabits a space that is somewhere between Fincher’s Seven and Wan’s Saw. Acting as a conduit between both places, and all personalities, is the mindscape of our host. This place is dark, eerie, and dangerous, and is coloured with true blacks and bright glaring reds. It’s an unsettling world, one which is further enhanced by a curious red watery effect that gives the location that much needed otherworld sensation.

A film whose title is easier to type than say, Plurality is easier to look at than digest. Shiao’s execution of the plot is incredibly confusing. However, the look and feel of the onscreen environments that have been created are beautiful enough to cancel out most frustrations. A mind-bending cyber thriller with a dangerous edge, Plurality might not be the most straightforward film to follow, but it does have a sufficiently distinctive premise to capture attention. 

Signature Entertainment presents Plurality on Digital Platforms from 19th July 2021.