COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - PEACOCK (POU) INDIEFLIX BLU-RAY

If it weren’t for streaming services, we would not have nearly the same access to international horror as we do now. Before Amazon and the explosion of e-commerce, your best bet for accessing non-English-speaking horror films was based purely on who you knew and where you lived. Now, a few clicks can get you access to more films than you have time to watch. While this access does improve the diversity of content, there is still a heavy bias towards some parts of the world. One region that we in North America are deficient in is the African continent. Even if you google recommendations, you aren’t likely to find a ton of lists that can give you deep looks into regional horror, especially more independent fare. Thankfully, labels like IndieFlix are working to improve that with their recent Blu-Ray release of Jaco Minnaar’s Peacock. Is this supernatural and psychological South African thriller something unique like the feathers on its titular animal or just another nameless bird in the flock?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

The psychosexual journey of a young woman into the dark recesses of the Afrikaner psyche and its compromised past.

HOW IS IT?

For a bird that can only fly 2% of the time, the peacock is an imposing bird. Between their loud shrieks and their blossoming back feathers, they can be beautiful from a distance and more intimidating up close. In “Peacock”, the bird is both a figurative and literal part of the story that is as perplexing as the creature itself. It is a film that is loaded with history that may or may not be familiar to some North American audiences, and has a lot to say without being entirely sure how to say it. Admittedly, the director Jaco Minnaar wrote this screenplay on the back of a dream(s) which is displayed proudly on the back sleeve of the case almost as a preface to the viewer for what to expect. In many ways, “Peacock” is a beautiful and gripping thriller that is beautifully filmed and brilliantly paced, but it also fails to capitalize on all of its themes by simply having too many of them to do service to. Still, this is a chilling and interesting addition to the supernatural genre that mixes just the right amount of psychological paranoia with societal themes unique to the history of the region.

Anna is a caretaker sent to care for one of the founding heads of The Foundation from which she grew up. A kind of uber-religious orphanage training women to become indentured servants under archaic definitions of morality. Anna’s departure is due to her promiscuity with another classmate, and her working for the senile Oom Sarel is an ironic form of punishment given his lucid and fascist-like religious beliefs. From the moment Anna arrives, Sarel is erratic and unpredictable. Moving from room to room unpacking boxes and doing unknown research which he grumbles incoherently to himself about. Anna and Sarel are an odd, but perfect pairing since they both are naturally curious. That curiosity often leads them into trouble, and in Anna’s case some chilling information about the history of the person she cares for. The performances of both Sarel and Anna are perfect, and it is what makes the film so engaging. Anna is tortured by the repercussions of her past transgressions despite not doing anything wrong, while Sarel is haunted by unseen “devils” who whisper to him incessantly. Their overlapping lunacy is intoxicating to behold, but it is the direction, pacing, and cinematography that captivate above all.

Admittedly, there are parts of “Peacock” that I just didn’t understand. Parts at the very end of the 3rd act feel more ethereal and less related to the plot, but it is also possible it just went over my head. Regardless of what landed and what didn’t thematically, the look of the film is stunning and hard to look away from. Even in the dark desolate landscape of the barren farmhouse, the use of aqua blue/green brings just the right amount of color to the bleakness of the dusty house. What works best though is the way the film is edited and paced. It carries a dreamlike quality throughout that toggles between feeling tethered to and drifting above reality, and that keeps what could’ve been a more saggy middle much more engaging. In fact, as someone who usually doesn’t jive with supernatural horror as much this one certainly is one of the better ones in recent memory. It doesn’t keep all the thematic balls it is juggling in the air, but it does land the ones that hit on a good story with great performances backed with strong aesthetics and technical filmmaking.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

IndieFlix is a first-time label to the crypt, and to be honest it is hard to tell how the quality here is. The disc we played seemed as if it dropped in frame rates at various times, and it was difficult to discern between what was intended and what may have been an issue with the transfer. It isn’t the worst problem and won’t take you out of watching the film, but it is noticeable if not intentional. Beyond that, the film is shown in a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio on a 1080p Blu-Ray. The film looks quite good, with both dark and brighter colors showing off an array of muted color tones that are clear without ever getting murky. Images from this release are used throughout the review and featured below.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

Included with this release is a 2.0 stereo track with Afrikaans audio and English subtitles. This audio track is quite impressive for just a stereo track and has both clear dialogue as well as good use of ambient sound. Given the more subtle nature of the scares, there isn’t a great use for any kind of surround sound, so this is more than serviceable.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

The only special feature included in this release is the official trailer.

LAST RITES

“Peacock” is an engaging and beautifully shot supernatural shocker from South Africa. Mixing the history of the region with more Western supernatural plotting results in a unique blend that has a lot to say even if it doesn’t land all of its points. A high recommend for any supernatural/psychological horror fans out there!

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! Peacock is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!

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