[Review] The Strings discovery, desolation, and darkness
In the middle of a Canadian winter, musician Catherine travels to a cabin in the woods owned by a family member. Whilst in the cabin, Catherine spends her days exploring with a friend, writing music, and being oppressed by the feeling of a dark presence that has taken over the cabin. Directed by Ryan Glover and written by Ryan Glover and Krista Dzialoszynski, The Strings explores the overwhelming feeling of loneliness and desolation through exploring the crisis of identity that Catherine portrays.
Our focus is shifted to lone character Catherine played by Teagan Johnston who has escaped the restraints of a musical collaboration to venture into the solo realm of their musical career. To explore this new venture, Catherine stays in solitude in a kitschy cabin in the woods. The film starts off slowly by building our insight into the world of Catherine works through the mundanities of life. Spending her days writing electronic style music and speaking in interviews about her musical projects, we see Catherine is often discontent with her situation and her attempt at avoiding life back in her home city. We know that her experiences so far are not desirable through her minimal contact with photographer friend Grace (Jenna Schaefer) and interviews conducted over the phone. It’s rare that Catherine comes into contact with someone else and, if so, it’s for a fleeting moment before she returns to being on her own.
After spending some time in an abandoned building with photographer friend Grace, the cabin torments Catherine. Grace unravels the story behind the abandoned farmhouse revealing the horrible past of the location, it’s quite possible that these mysterious shadows are also the ones that plague Catherine as the film continues. The shadow that invades the cabin⸺braced by the incredible score by Adrian Ellis⸺permeates through Catherine’s reality whilst swelling the unsettling feeling that carries across the entire film. The sombre soundtrack maintains the dark and unnerving experiences of Catherine. Whilst in the beginning, we see Catherine was okay with being on her own. However, as the dark presence creeps into the cabin, we witness Catherine losing sleep, becoming increasingly paranoid. The supernatural intrusion begins in the night, knocking on the walls, the slow and steady rattle of picture frames. These sounds alert Catherine to something not being quiet right in the cottage.
Teagan Johnston’s performance at bringing to life the sensation of being haunted by loneliness shows an ability to personify the deep emotions that can overwhelm us. The feeling of dread is consistent throughout The Strings, keeping me on edge, waiting for the wicked to overcome our protagonist, Catherine. This dread is further perpetuated by the constant feeling of isolation and loneliness that Catherine is experiencing in the cabin alone. The thought that it left me with at the end of the film was, is this presence in the cabin or is it a projection of Catherine’s loneliness and isolation that is leading her into dark places? It’s a concept that has played on my mind since watching the film. Was it me, or did the end leave me with a sense of ambiguity? I’m not phased because the ending leaves you with a sense of not knowing exactly what happened. For me I was too shaken up by the ongoing creepiness that felt like it would never end.
Glover’s impressive cinematography is an important talking point of The Strings. Using stunning wide shots of Catherine in bleak outdoor settings contributed to the eerie and unsettling nature of the film. They contrast these daytime shots against the darkness of the cabin at night, Catherine walking through dimly lit hallways with the hint of light from a torch. These techniques create suspense and tension that is carried from night back into day, an element of the film that I appreciate with its ability to maintain the sensation of discomfit that strongly lingers from start to finish. Glover never goes for the cheap shot even once throughout the film and instead builds a dense feeling of discomfit through wide-angle shots, dark corners,
The Strings is a beautifully shot film showing that Glover has a propensity for cinematography that creates intense emotion and an eeriness that echoes long after the film finishes. The film is dark and a wonderful slow burn that is beautiful and stylistic, the sense of foreboding is executed brilliantly from the very beginning. Whilst it takes a considerable amount of time to get to the reveal, the wait is certainly worth the time spent. The Strings is a beautiful exploration of self-discovery, emotional recovery, and the personification of how isolation can etch its way into our subconscious and corrupt reality.
The Strings is now streaming exclusively on Shudder.
