Continuance, writer-director Tony Olmos’s sophomore feature effort, is a unique comedy-horror hybrid. The film follows lawyer Jordan (Tony Gorodeckas) and his wife Lynn (Teresa Suarez Grosso) as they navigate their posh life in the midst of an economic collapse. With the help of their put-upon housekeeper, Loopy (Noor Razooky), the couple embarks on a final food run. However, this is no ordinary grocery trip; these people are cannibals on the hunt for their next meal.
However, that plan becomes even more vile when it is revealed Loopy and Jordan are having an affair. This revelation adds a new layer of tension and deceit to the story. Since Loopy is in charge of everyone’s meds, is she the reason Lynn is unraveling? If not, is the stress of their illicit eating habits getting to her? Or is Lynn actually psychic, as she claims, and these disturbances are entities from beyond sending her a warning?
Continuance features one of the worst performances in recent memory. Correction: it features the worst voice-over narration since Harrison Ford had to talk over Blade Runner. The voice-over comes from Jordan as he discusses his thought process, such as how he evaluates his victims. It is dispassionate, disinterested, and lacks enthusiasm or energy. Considering this is how Jordan addresses the audience for much of the first 10 to 15 minutes, it would appear at first that Gorodeckas is giving a lackluster performance. It is so off-putting that it threatens to derail the entire film before it really begins.
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“…this is no ordinary grocery trip; these people are cannibals on the hunt for their next meal.”
Fortunately, the film takes a turn for the better when Gorodeckas is allowed to inhabit Jordan fully. He transitions from a seemingly lackluster performance to a weirdly charming, confidently disarming, and eventually utterly convincing calm psychopath. Grosso’s character is a delight, and her comedic timing is always on point. The sequence where she insists that the green vitamin smoothie is not the one she drinks at night is intense and slightly silly, adding a layer of dark humor. Razooky’s performance is brilliant, always one step ahead, which she suggests to audiences via body language while keeping her voice calm so as not to let her employers know what she’s up to. When she gets to let loose at the end, it is most gratifying.
Continuance is a visual feast, or perhaps a visual nightmare, depending on your perspective. It’s chockful of unnerving close-ups of meat, creating a visceral horror that takes a little bit to really creep in for good. The very dark humor, though, is ever-present and consistently enjoyable. The character of Loren (Brian Patrick Butler) thinks he knows everything and all that, and to see him put in his proper place is satisfying and fun.
Despite the initial setback of the voice-over, Continuance manages to captivate with its unfolding events. The film strikes a balance between captivating, creepy, and over-the-top, keeping the audience engaged. The uniformly solid cast, effective cinematography, and editing all contribute to its success in communicating its horror and comedy elements. The final 10 minutes, in particular, prove that the entire runtime is worth the viewer’s time.
For more information about Continuance, visit the official Rosewood Five site.