Nocturne
Ratings: 3.4/5
Duration: 1hr 30 mins
Language: English
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Director: Zu Quirke
Writer: Zu Quirke
Producer: Terra Abroms, Jason Blum, Lisa Bruce, Kyle Chalmers, Fodhla Cronin O'Reilly, Chris Dickie, Jeremy Gold, Pamela Monroe, Matthew Myers, Marci Wiseman
Music: Elizabeth Bernholz
Cinematography: Carmen Cabana
Editing: Andrew Drazek
Art Direction: Katelyn Budke, Jen Horling, Ryan Lopez, Ken Gun Min, Andre Rivera, Madison Steigerwald
Release Date: 13 October 2020
Streaming On: Amazon Studios
Star Cast: Sydney Sweeney, Madison Iseman, Jacques Colimon, Ivan Shaw, Julie Benz, Rodney To, JoNell Kennedy, John Rothman, Brandon Keener, Miles McKenna, Stephon Fuller, A.J. Tannen, Ji Eun Hwang, Asia Jackson, Phillip Wampler
Plot: The film follows an incredibly gifted pianist who makes a Faustian bargain to overtake her older sister at a prestigious institution for classical musicians.
Review: Inside the halls of an elite arts academy, a timid music student begins to outshine her more accomplished and outgoing twin sister when she discovers a mysterious notebook belonging to a recently deceased classmate. The film stars Sweeney as Juliet Lowe, a pianist in her last year of high school who is jealous because she is constantly overshadowed by her twin sister.
In Nocturne, first-time writer-director Zu Quirke adds a few of her own twists to the evil music school genre, including a bitter sibling rivalry and a mysterious book of sheet music that may have been written by Satan himself.
Released on Amazon as one of four features under the Welcome to the Blumhouse banner, Nocturne portrays the extremely competitive world of classical music, where only a select few ever-become renowned performers. Till this, it looks and feels like an movie ready to stir everyone. It’s attempt for horror then muddles everything. The film looks way beyond predictable with a okay storyline which drowns the film even if it stars Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) and Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle).
Carmen Cabana’s cinematography is very capturing, and the movie’s use of sound is electrifying as Juliet begins her downfall, almost close to the treatment of the film ‘Black Swan’. The manner the film shows her gradual downfall is one of the plus points of the film.
Sweeney plays Juliet Lowe, a talented pianist who’s unfortunately not as talented as her twin sister, Vivian (Iseman). The latter already received an early acceptance to Juilliard, has a talented boyfriend (Jacques Coliman) and is set to perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ famous Piano Concerto No. 2 at their school’s annual showcase. It goes haywire from here!
The final shot of the film is Juliet’s mutilated body impaled on the statue, using the last of her strength to smile as she lives her last moments in a fantasy of fame and success. Thus, Nocturne ends with Juliet embracing her dark side. There is still nothing terrifying about that too!
