In the psychological thriller “Hypochondriac”, life and all its horrors begin with Mother. When the film’s protagonist, Will (played as a child by Ian Inigo), was young, his mother (Marlene Forte) suffered from psychosis. His illness manifested itself in intense and violent episodes. She would scream and hurt herself. One of Will’s most indelible memories is of his mother strangling him as a child.
Eighteen years later, Will (Zach Villa) seems to have built a more peaceful life than his childhood. He works as a ceramist and he has a loving boyfriend, Luke (Devon Graye), who can’t wait to introduce Will to his family. But Will’s stability begins to crack when his estranged mother reconnects. She sends him boxes of discarded DVD cases and scattered, disturbing voicemails warning him to get away from Luke. Will is haunted by the fear that his mother will infect the rest of his life, that he might become like her. But his fear turns to paranoia when he begins to have visions of a monstrous wolfman, a distorted memory of a childhood costume.
Writer and director, Addison Heimann, flirts with horror elements as he portrays this maniacal story of a mother and son. Will’s wolf wraith is executed with practical effects, dripping in blood and matted fur. The bloody consequences of distorted thinking are portrayed vividly, with surgical veracity. But while the film is confident when it comes to portraying boogeymen in style, it’s less confident in its portrayal of people who show symptoms of psychosis. The film links the cinematic thrill to the real disease, linking the monstrosity of the film to specific psychiatric symptoms. His armchair psychology makes for uncomfortable viewing, an amalgam of diagnosis and damnation.
Hypochondriac
Unclassified. Duration: 1h37. In theaters.