Embrace

How much do you notice when you walk to work each day? Are you one of those people that could say exactly how many drains you pass, or do you walk idly by, headphones in and with a head full of stress and worry about the day ahead? Sometimes it pays to be attentive, to notice the small changes to our typical environment and typical routine. ‘Embrace’ is an extremely concise film that leaves you with a lot to think about in just a short runtime, not least the amount of attention we pay to the world around us.

In its short two minute runtime Axel Zeltser’s ‘Embrace’ follows Melanie (played by Natte You) as she navigates her everyday life, full of challenges and the rigours of monotony, as well as the looming backdrop of a stalker, who calls her phone and tries to assert his control over her. Each day she walks the same streets, completely oblivious to the wider world around her. She doesn’t notice the cold, grey, metal bucket that stays stationary down an alley, because, well, why would she?

It doesn’t matter that the creepily scratched number on the side of the bucket seems to change each day for no apparent reason, that isn’t what suddenly causes Melanie to notice what had been hiding in plain sight. ‘Embrace’ is a clever film in how it uses the bucket and the secret behind it as a metaphor for the stalker Melanie is facing. The stalker, like the bucket, is a constant ominous presence in Melanie’s otherwise ordinary life, only one is ostensibly present to her and the other is not. The bucket haunts her by its very presence, and ultimately when she is drawn to it, seeks to control her, just in the same way as her stalker does.

Writer and director Axel Zeltser depicts this metaphor with precision, and executes his message well. Throughout it is well edited, both visually and audibly, with beautiful shots of the winding Parisian streets that make up Melanie’s commute cut together with glimpses into her work as a therapist to the sound of footsteps, doorbells and phones ringing. Zeltser directs with a firm hand, a breezy pace and a strong vision, which is executed well, and yet, as the film hurdles to its conclusion, ‘Embrace’ leaves an underwhelming taste in the mouth.

The ending of the film is weird. Your mileage for it may vary, but certainly it’s a change of pace from the rest of the film and takes a tangible mystery into the realm of disbelief. It’s an ending that feels superimposed from another film and placed into ‘Embrace’, and for that reason the film doesn’t quite stick its landing.

Nevertheless, ‘Embrace’ is, for the most part, a well-made, concise horror, with a sharp, thought-provoking metaphor throughout.