Now that SXSW 2024 has wrapped, the distinction for most disappointing and frustrating film of this year’s festival belongs to Kryptic. A compelling story, unique visuals, and a committed performance fail to offer anything of substance. That is unless one counts the buckets of mucous that were persistently promised as “a substance.”
Kryptic begins on a promising note. Kay Hall (Chloe Pirrie) returns home from a hiking trip, where she experiences a close encounter with a mysterious Sasquatch-like creature. As a result, Kay sees herself having trouble remembering her life. While she tries to piece back together who she might be, Kay becomes enthralled with the case of a missing cryptozoologist and monster hunter, Barbara Valentine. Adding to the palpable intrigue and mystery is the fact that Barbara and Kay look oddly similar.
The metaphor for a woman having suffered a life-altering trauma that leads her toward a path of self-discovery is evident. Director Kourtney Roy and writer Paul Bromley boldly go in the direction of an experimental film, touching many subjects along the way, although not fully committing to its convictions. Sexuality, abuse, and harassment are just a few of the themes Kryptic navigates yet does not preoccupy itself with fully developing.
Kryptic deserves credit for touching on these subjects. However, the superficial exploration contained within a body of hollow support fails to add any important or necessary commentary. The film introduces characters only to have them disappear without reason. Plot twists are introduced but promptly forgotten just moments later. The muddled lore surrounding the urban legend monster ultimately fails to pay any satisfying or logical dividends. This overall lackluster approach and lack of detail make it seem as if ideas were pulled from a hat and haphazardly placed in play. None of them receive the analysis or care they deserve. Kryptic is riddled with such instances that ultimately make the viewing experience increasingly frustrating.
Kryptic also fails to capitalize on certain visual conceptualizations. Slimy scenes involving different ecstatic characters swimming in a sea of tentacles coated with mucous (or some other substance with similar viscosity) are littered throughout. The film alludes to its title in keeping the motivations behind these moments mysterious. This decision would be effective if the goopy orgasmic display ultimately would tie into some other plot point. Even if only intended to be a visual gag, they fail to resonate due to mundane shot choices and shoddy editing.
Despite all the negatives, there is one outlier that benefits Kryptic: Chloe Pirrie’s committed performance. The film is essentially a one-person vehicle, and regardless of all the nonsense surrounding Kay/Barbara’s journey, Pirrie succeeds in bringing empathy to the character. Considering a subpar dialogue, moments where the film relies on the abilities of Pirrie as opposed to words are among the best. Pirrie is able to convey her character’s fear, confusion, and vulnerability through facial expression alone. She does her best with a lacking script, and when the climax arrives, Pirrie fully commits to the dementedness required, even though her efforts are ultimately wasted.
The jury is out on whether, at best, Kryptic will garner a cult following. All the elements for a decent and effective horror film are there, yet Kryptic is overly fixated on cramming multiple ideas into its run time, to the detriment of each. Nonetheless, Roy shows promise in formulating unique storytelling ideas. Greater focus and more polish are required for the next outing, and Kryptic offers no indication that that goal is unattainable.
Borja’s rating 4/10
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