"THE INVISIBLE MOTHER" (2019)

If you read the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival wrap-up I co-wrote with Allison, you may recall me saying that The Invisible Mother is my favorite film of the year. If not, there you go. I also explained that the “Unnamed” part of their moniker is a signifier of their preference for showcasing films that are difficult to pin down under one neat little label.

The Invisible Mother falls into that category of the not-easily-qualifiable. You could say it's a haunted house movie, but lumping it in with all those others would be like putting Beetlejuice next to The Taking of Deborah Logan because they’re both “possession movies" or putting Serial Mom alongside Zodiac as "true crime". While these descriptors are technically accurate, you get no sense of the tone or sheer style involved. PUFF 2019 co-host Father Evil referred to the film's vibe as an "Avant-garde Hell" and I'm inclined to agree (in general I feel it may be unwise to disagree with Father Evil but that's besides the point). In The Invisible Mother, filmmakers Matthew Diebler & Jacob Gillman have combined a variety of influences and made something altogether new out of them. Their Avant-garde Hell is built on the shoulders of filmmakers like Jodorowski & movements like Giallo as well as an affinity and flair for practical effects that, at times, reminded me of Jan Švankmajer but more polished.