Pro Tip: If you have a rat infestation—getting a cat would be the smartest thing to do.
So I watched 1922, a Netflix adaptation of a Stephen King novella of the same name, starring Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, Neal McDonough and Dylan Schmid.
The movie is set in the year 1922 and follows a corn farmer whose life falls apart after he and his son brutally murder his wife. The film skirts with the psychological horror aspect as it dissects how guilt can drive a person to the brink of insanity and how our own conscience can turn on us like a rabid dog. Though I would use the term ‘horror’ lightly. There were scary moments, but the hallucinations were scarce until the final act. There is some ambiguity to it all. I still can’t decide if it was hallucinations or really the ghost of his wife that haunted him, or maybe it was both? The movie is all about symbolism which comes in the form of rats (which I won’t go into because of spoilers) but the clever imagery of using what the main character saw after the deed (which involved rats) and how that image was a recurring thing throughout the movie was a brilliant way to depict his psyche breaking down layer by layer.
It goes without saying that Thomas Jane delivers a brilliant performance and we spend a lot of scenes with him alone, gradually losing his mind over what he did.
The film’s sets were well done, and I really felt as if I was transported to the early 20s. I mean, where do they get these old cars from?
In the end, this is not a happy movie. It follows the same tropes of a Shakespearian Tragedy.
If you don’t mind rats, I would highly recommend this movie.
