I've been watching a lot of films lately and absolutely loving it, checking out all kinds of films and styles that have given me a lot more inspiration to work with for my own photography and desired projects. I roamed around Letterboxd for a while to find some films until I came across a Top 250 horror list, which immediately had me jumping into it given I had spent a lot of time watching that genre as of late. I found this film, November, which was highly rated with a very interesting font and poster. I general synopsis seemed vague, speaking of a woman that just wants to make a man fall in love with her in a strange Estonian medieval time. Though the film is so much more than that, instead, it's set with Estonian folklore and in a world of magic. And it's certainly a nightmare of a film despite its story on the pursuit of seeking a form of connection and identity.
This narrative shows a world where magic and folklore keep villagers surviving a harsh winter, where the environment is testing their abilities alongside plague and greed. The people of it seek survival, but the general question of what it's all for comes into play. Why survive if you have nothing but survival on the mind? If there's no love, no connection, nothing beyond the struggle? What makes life worth living in that scenario? What good is magic and the likes if it's purely used to maintain suffering? It's an interesting narrative to have even though the film isn't so clear in its agenda. It's a film that is rich in sound effects and beautiful in its photography, but displays generally unsettling scenes while doing so.
Shot in black and white as well, the film doesn't just feel like a fever dream, but a genuine nightmare that can't be escaped. But it pulls you in even with its slow visuals and relatively long runtime. This is a film that is within the horror genre for sure, but more for its strangely crafted fantasy world and unsettling nature over traditional horror elements. Perhaps if you're Estonian you'll connect with this more knowing more about the nation's historic folklore, but for the average person I can see how this would be a largely confusing experience. Still an impressive film nonetheless.
