’Cerebrum’ review: Dir. Sebastien Blanc [FrightFest]

Each year at Arrow Video FrightFest, the festival carves time out of its schedule to shine a light on new genre talent. The strand, First Blood, takes over one of the Discovery Screens for Saturday and debuts the voices of fledgling filmmakers. Sebastien Blanc and his film Cerebrum open this year’s crop of talented newcomers and it’s a twisted mind-bend of a movie. 

Cerebrum begins with a jolt as an accident unfolds on screen. After the attention-grabbing beginning, Cerebrum calms down. At this point the main character of William (Tobi King Bakare) is formally introduced. Having only glimpsed him previously, it is now that his circumstances are revealed. Following the opening altercation William has been in a coma for the last year. The after effects have left William unable to walk properly and with the inability to speak. Already feeling strange, William is taken home by his father (Steve Oram). Once home William starts to realise that things at home have changed. His father is acting strange and his mother is nowhere to be found. As he begins to unravel the mysteries surrounding him, he uncovers a life-shattering truth. 

The script, also written by Blanc, presents a range of intricately constructed puzzles to solve. It mirrors William’s broken mind, the viewer piecing things together at the same time as him. By placing the audience completely into William’s psyche, it creates a compelling amount of dramatic tension. The riddles themselves focus on themes and ideas of morality, and the great genre trope of mad science. Steve Oram’s character is masking many of the truths hidden within and his performance excellently executes all the intrigues provided by Blanc’s script. 

Leading Oram’s balanced but unsettling performance is an extraordinary turn from Tobi King Bakare. Still early in his career, his work here is a firm standout. William is not an easy character for any character to play and yet the young actor makes it seem effortless. The fact that his character is initially mute would pose a real challenge to any actor and Bakare relishes the material. It could be hard to connect to a silent protagonist if the acting were not up to standard. Bakare though, is an excellent communicator. His face is so expressive that he doesn’t need words. Just the slightest shift in his face or posture communicates William’s suspicion, anger, and frustrations.It’s not just the inability to speak that tests Bakare’s talent though, he also has to navigate the physicality of William’s injuries. The work that he does is well thought-out, him slowly bringing William back to his former self. Cerebrum makes an excellent calling card for this stage in a career and Bakare is sure to go far.

The technical side is equally strong. Blanc has formed a great team behind him with both the cinematography and sound design shining. Jamie Touche’s cinematography is gorgeous. Most of Cerebrum is confined to the walls of William’s house; it’s initially presented as crisp and clean, but gradually reveals a darker side. Contrasting with the interior is the bold greenery of the exterior. The two warring images articulate the argument between science and nature that Blanc’s script explores. Although dealing with some questionable scientific ventures, the audio provides some of the most effective instances of horror. There are several extended sequences involving loud and long high-pitches. These become progressively more painful and further push the audience into William’s shoes. 

This being a low-budget production and a first-time feature for Blanc, Cerebrum isn’t perfect. Some of the story aspects get muddled and it’s not quite as clever as it hopes to be in places. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable first effort, one that demonstrates a lot of talent and technical know-how. The perfect film to kick off a day of new voices, Cerebrum sets the ideal tone for a day of dark discoveries. 

Cerebrum was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest 2022.