’Drag’: A Hilarious, Unexpectedly Unhinged Ride Where You Need to Go in Blind [SXSW Review]
When you think of horror film premises, your first thought usually involves some sort of outside force acting on the main characters. Sometimes that’s in the form of a supernatural entity, or any sort of killer. But with Drag, the feature debut of director/screenwriters Raviv Ullman and Greg Yagolnitzer, that initial driving factor is more mundane than that, which, in turn, ups the fear factor.
Drag opens up on two sisters, played by Lizzy Caplan and Lucy DeVito, who are staking out a house to rob it. Seems simple, right? That’s what they think, too. And it seems like it does, as Caplan (who is listed as simply “Fuckup”) leaves DeVito (who is listed as “Sister”) to wait in the car. But when a pained, panicked call on the walkie comes through to DeVito, it seems like something has indeed gone very wrong. Once she gets into the house, she finds her sister slumped in the master bathroom’s spacious tub, her back thrown out and unable to move.
With this new handicap, the only solution is for DeVito to drag Caplan out of the house before the owner gets home. Easier said than done when wood floor gives way to carpet and unexpected nails. Factor in the simple strain of dragging a human body and you know there is only more to come.
This rural house, full of art and other seemingly-expensive items, is the perfect setting to get just under your skin. It’s almost too perfect, and that’s because it is. While it appears to be a simple house, what actually lies underneath is much more sinister than that. With Drag, the plot is just beginning.
Whatever you expect going into this, don’t
What Drag does best is keep you guessing. It’s a simple enough premise, sure, but it’s one that is packed full of simple, ingenious fun. It’s terrifying at times, and at times it will also make you laugh. DeVito and Caplan have such a wonderful chemistry together that, even though the sisters are often at odds with one another, you can’t help but hope that the end of the movie sees them coming closer together.
Ullman and Yagolnitzer give us a simplistic set, a simplistic cast, and a simplistic plot, but the events and performances of Drag are anything but. The strongest aspects of this film lie in what it becomes as a whole. It’s funny, but it’s tense. The comedy isn’t saturating the entire film; rather, it uplifts it. Horror comedies seem to be having a great run recently, and Drag is definitely one of the best.
John Stamos also has a role that is unlike anything he’s ever played before. Without going too much into it, because you all deserve the same level of surprise we had, it’s a side of him we haven’t seen before. And once you see it, you’ll wonder why it’s a role he hasn’t played before. He fits so well into this eccentric painter, dancing and skulking around the house while the sisters try to escape without being noticed.
If this year is the future of horror, we’re in for a treat
Horror fans are always looking for something unique to the genre. It’s a search we go on all of our lives because the opportunities are endless. It’s a genre that is much more vast and accommodating than most think; comedy is just one facet. Drag also confronts familial conflict through a lens that is bleak, yes, but also realistic. Nothing in life is ever tidy. We don’t get our happy endings even when we want them.
Composter Patrick Stump’s score is straightforward for the genre but is also menacingly suspenseful at times. It is also allowed to shine in certain beats of the script. Stump has a plethora of influences from his background as a musician and a knack for knowing just what will work. He builds on the tension already baked into the script, giving the right sting or the perfect inflection. Combined with cinematographer Ben Goodman’s take on arial shots of the incapacitated Caplan, it forces that helpless anxiety from the characters onto the viewer.
The film is a series of misfortunes that you just can’t help but watch. Some, maybe you’d prefer to look away from. It’s refreshing when filmmakers are able to be as outlandish as possible, because too often we will see films that are too constrained to make a wild premise work. Ullman and Yagolnitzer create the type of horror story that shouldn’t work, but in their capable hands shines.
Having Drag premiere at SXSW was one of the best decisions they could have made. It’s a film that needs to be seen with an audience, and one you’ll absolutely leave the theater talking about. All I’ll say is, you won’t look at duct tape the same way again. Or John Stamos.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
