Directed by Kourtney Roy and written by Paul Bromley, Kryptic is one of the strangest films at SXSW 2024. It might even be the weirdest. Its story is hard to untangle with the whole film working as one big headache-inducing enigma.
Although the full extent and repercussions of Kryptic become increasingly difficult to fathom out, it all begins with a hike. Kay (Chloe Pirrie) joins a group of other women on a hiking trail built on the legend of a strange monster. After listening to the stories of the skookum – a bigfoot type creature – Kay goes to explore the woods by herself. During this time she encounters the hairy biped and their encounter will change everything for her.
Once out of the physical woods, Kay finds herself lost in the metaphorical trees as struggles to remember who she really is. As she begins to investigate, she finds herself drawn to others who claim to have seen the creature. It is soon revealed that Kay and the beast share a kinship, with Kay able to metaphysically see and feel the creature. Whilst the latter part of the plot might conjure up images of Colossal, Kryptic presents an entirely different set of circumstances. The connection is looser physically, but more intense psychologically. The pair bond between woman and monster is interesting to see and is portrayed as an orgy of body parts squelching together. It’s a great visual, an effective surreal aside to the more naturalistic aspects of the rest of the cinematography.
Even during Kryptic’s more lucid moments, it can be difficult to fully decipher exactly what is happening. Whilst the lack of clarity will thrill puzzle solvers, the more casual viewer will struggle to appreciate exactly what Kourtney Roy is trying to do. After two-thirds of heading in one direction, the rug is pulled out from under the viewer and a new scenario begins to unfold. It is in this section that Kryptic is at its most familiar and, in turn, most engaging. Gender roles, specifically man’s desire for women to conform to certain lifestyle choices, are scrutinised. Suddenly pieces begin to fall into place enabling Kryptic to end on an intellectual and emotional high.
Kryptic
Summary
A film that seeks to be exactly what its title suggests, Kryptic takes time and patience to decode.
Kryptic was reviewed at SXSW 2024.
