Resurrection Movie Review

This is an incredibly multilayered story. If suspense in your movies is what you like, this movie is for you. The reason to see “Resurrection” is the fact that it’s an IFC thriller. The reason to keep watching once you’ve started is the brilliant casting of Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth, who shows how accomplished they’ve become. ​

Not that I’ve ever doubted them, mind you. With “Resurrection,” Hall and Roth continually arouse uncertainty and anxiety, keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the intense narrative that you weren’t exactly expecting.

Hall plays a single mother named Margaret. She’s successful in her career and parenting. Her daughter Abbie (Grace Kaufman) is bright but a wildly self-sufficient, often detached teenager. She doesn’t exactly like being told what to do. She’s a challenge in her mother’s dependably reliable life. At work, Margaret counsels Gwyn (Carbone), a fellow employee who is in an unhealthy and destructive relationship. When the past comes knocking on Margaret’s door, you can’t help but think she’s the last person who should be passing out advice about the goings-on between two people.

“Resurrection” starts to turn dark quickly. This comes from a conversation with Gwyn. In an entirely uncut monologue, Margaret relays a story about her past. It’s here that we learn just how abnormal her life had once been. When we meet David (Roth), her ex, it’s a miracle she’s been able to pass herself as lucid this whole time.

When he gets closer and she finally approaches David, something she should have tried to avoid. Those in her life start to doubt her sanity and judgment. Out of nowhere, she warns Abbie to be careful and asks her to constantly check in. Margaret’s acting paranoid and expressing signs of irrationality. Though people in her life show they care, Margaret doesn’t welcome it. She only wants to rid herself of the uninvited atrocity that has reentered her life.

I don’t want to tell you what happened in David and Margaret’s past, but I implore you, thriller fan, to see this film. As crazy as it is, the very end isn’t avoidable, but you will see it coming.

Before then, you get a mad story about how merciless and cruel one person can be to another. This can also be seen as a message to always be wary of anyone who can hold sway over your children, no matter how mature and developed you think they are. Remember, an abuser usually comes from the least likely of places so keep your eyes peeled.