For a horror movie in regards to the terror of demonic possession, Gabriel Bier Gislason’s feature-film debut is unexpectedly charming. Having fallen in love after an cute meet-cute, Danish has-been performer Maja (Josephine Park) impulsively strikes in with Jewish educational Leah (Ellie Kendrick), who suffers from a mysterious harm. Their romance is watched over by Leah’s ultra-Orthodox mom, Chana (The Killing’s Sofie Gråbøl), who fusses over Leah’s each want with an insistence that borders on possessiveness.
The awkward interactions that spring out of this conflict between an overbearing dad or mum and a gentile outsider are portrayed with that entertaining dry humour of basic Jewish comedy, but there are additionally darker forces at play. As Maja bumbles via a sequence of cultural faux-pas – think about frying bacon in your Jewish hookup! – she additionally comes throughout unusual clues, like small piles of salt strategically sprinkled round Leah’s flat. Is Chana truly nursing Leah again to well being or is she manipulating her daughter via black magic?
The deftness with which Gislason balances the conventions of the comedy of manners with the paranoia of navigating a closed neighborhood makes Attachment particularly compelling. There’s an emotionally advanced efficiency from Gråbøl, and David Dencik can also be massively charismatic as Leah’s uncle Lev, as hilariously deadpan as he’s enigmatic.
In comparison with the participating script, which is steeped in Jewish folklore and superstitions surrounding malicious spirits known as dybbuks, the visuals are flatter and generic: some indoor sequences have such low lighting that it’s tough to make out what’s taking place. Nonetheless, the refreshing – and uncommon – mix of Jewish humour and horror makes Attachment a enjoyable Valentine’s Day watch for individuals who like their queer romance with a sprinkle of spooky chill.