Distorted had promise. The idea of Christina Ricci and John Cusack pairing for a psychological thriller about twisted perspectives of reality is, indeed, an intriguing one.
The intrigue is also supported by its premise: Lauren (Ricci), a young woman mourning the loss of her infant daughter while struggling with bipolar depression, moves into an upscale and secure apartment complex. The idea is to give her some peace and time to heal – but there wouldn’t be much of a movie in it if that were the result. Lauren quickly starts believing she’s a guinea pig for a government-funded mind control experiment that all the neighbors in her complex are conspiring to execute.
Or it could just be in her head.
As good as this sounds, the intrigue unfortunately ends shortly after the film begins. Arnie Olsen’s script betrays its own potential by quickly becoming too convoluted and involved for its own good. Instead of focusing on the fascinating interior struggle of Ricci’s character, it creates less-interesting twists that distract us from them.
Distorted is also terribly flat in its presentation and timing. Director Rob W. King’s work is functionally solid, but he doesn’t take any of the experimental or creative risks the material would suggest. A story like this demands tension and atmosphere along the lines of Polanski or Lynch. Distorted, however, settles on a slick, bland, made-for-television style that only presents suspense and paranoia without actually creating them for its audience. Jackie Dzuba’s editing is too air tight, causing the film to be paced in a way that simply skims the surface of its events. The viewer is merely a spectator to Distorted, never enticed to become involved or really care about its story or characters.
Most disappointingly, Distorted’s performances are all rather lackluster. Ricci’s mental illness doesn’t feel examined or discussed. She’s just kind of lazily out of it for the entire movie. Like everything else about the film, the performances feel under-directed and rushed. Most of the actors look as if they’re performing in half-speed rehearsals, completely uncommitted and misguided in their choices. Cusack is sadly designated to yet another in-the-shadows performance in a direct-to-VOD thriller, one that seemingly required no effort but the partial utilization of his trademark monotone and deadpan stare.
Distorted is a frustratingly missed opportunity. With such a strong premise and with actors of Cusack’s and Ricci’s talent involved, it should have strived for more depth, artistry, and innovation- both in its script and in its production value. Instead, we’re left with another waste of talent in today’s VOD wasteland that is adeptly made but also highly forgettable and inexcusably average.
GRADE: C-
