IVAN KAVANAGH is a master with psychological horror and dare I say, sheer terror. While he has multiple films to his credit, audiences may know him best for The Canal (2014) which premiered at Tribeca International Film Festival prior to its global release, and thereafter his acclaimed western, Never Grow Old, which starred John Cusack and Emile Hirsch, the latter with whom Kavanagh reteams for this latest chiller, SON.
Written and directed by Kavanagh, joining Hirsch in SON are Andi Matichak and Luke David Blumm as mother and son, Laura and David, respectively. The story is a simple one. An alleged group of individuals break into Laura’s home and attempt to “steal” or kidnap eight-year-old David. Shortly after the attempted crime, David becomes deathly ill, mystifying the doctors and the concerned police detective Paul who seems to have a growing interest in the fate of Laura and David. Fearing for her life and that of David, Laura goes on the run only to be met with ever-increasing instability within David, forcing her to not only commit unspeakable acts in his name but facing the ultimate question – how far will a mother’s love go to save her child. And while the story may be simple in its premise, it’s what Kavanagh does with it cinematically that takes this to the next level of terror.
Buckle up and get ready for some really twisted and creepy storytelling as Kavanagh leads us down the garden path with ambiguity that lulls the audience into a sense of “knowing what’s coming” only to zing us in the third act with a terrifying and surprising ultimate reveal.
One of the keys to the success of SON is that Kavanagh steeps us in ambiguity, dangling it before us like a carrot to a mule. Are we dealing with the supernatural? Are we dealing with severe mental illness in Laura? But he gives us clues along the way so we can start putting the pieces of this puzzle together, starting with David’s illness and hospitalization after the alleged attempted kidnapping. However, some of the clues play to the film’s disadvantage where it comes to Laura as we begin to wonder given unfolding events if she is more concerned with herself or with her son. To Kavanagh’s credit, however, he rights any potential wrongs by the midpoint of the film with some key visuals that fuel the psychology of what’s happening.
Through it all, however, Kavanagh keeps us on our toes – is something evil and untoward happening, or is all of this in Laura’s mind? It can play either way. Kavanagh fills SON with metaphor, not the least of which are selections of vintage classic cartoons that play on the tv to entertain David, as well as various paintings on walls. Needless to say, there is a lot of bloody wet work happening and Kavanagh and his team excel with this from splatter on walls to a grinning child saturated in blood. It’s no spoiler to reveal that SON touches on the cult or zealot aspect of religion and/or the satanic flip side which bodes well for practical effects, most notably in the film’s finale.
Visual tonal bandwidth is exceptionally good thanks in large part to cinematographer Piers McGrail and the production design of John Leslie. Very effective is the use of color – yellows, greens, reds – caution, go, stop. The intimacy of the locations – bedroom, hospital room, car, motel room – plays very well without feeling claustrophobic. Aza Hand’s score works well but is unremarkable. Kavanagh wisely lets the visuals and story be the focus.
But the real surprise here is Emile Hirsch, as is the outstanding performance by relative newcomer, the young Luke David Blumm. Hirsch has some meat that he can bite into with SON and delivers a calm, unflappable, and modulated performance, albeit he doesn’t make for a strong law enforcement officer. As Paul, he is unrattled by Laura’s story, unmoved at the hospital or with a desperately ill child. Stoicism personified. But when we get to the third act and some big reveals, look out! All three actors shine, pushing you closer to the edge of your seat as visuals become ever closer and more revealing while Robin Hill’s editing becomes even more rapier.
I spoke with IVAN KAVANAGH at length in this exclusive conversation about SON. As you will hear, Ivan is beyond affable, passionate, astute, accomplished in his technical prowess and discussion, and a pure delight. Take a listen as we dig deep into multiple aspects of the production, among them:
• the genesis of the story and personal influences
• visual construct and tonal bandwidth with light, lens, color, and location; the importance and use of negative space
• the importance of shotlisting for this film
• editing and using that to help craft ambiguity along with pacing
• working with “blood”
• tapping into the emotionality of the story through visuals and character
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 02/24/2021
