By George & Josh Bate
Redux Redux is the exact kind of movie that makes SXSW such a great film festival.
In recent years, few concepts have been as widely explored in cinema and television as the multiverse. From the Academy Award winning Everything Everywhere All At Once to multiple installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga, there is seemingly a new movie or show about the multiverse popping up everyday. Such a quantity of multiverse projects threaten exhaustion from audiences if the concept isn’t handled with particular craft and novelty. But that’s exactly how the multiverse is handled in Redux Redux, a new psychological thriller with a sci-fi spin premiering at this year’s SXSW.
Helmed by brothers Kevin and Matthew McManus, Redux Redux stars Michaela McManus (who is the real-life sister of the McManus brothers) as Irene, a woman deeply troubled when a serial killer murders her daughter. As a means to seek vengeance, Irene travels through multiple parallel universes to repeatedly kill her daughter’s murderer and possibly find a universe in which her daughter is still alive. Over the course of this journey, Irene is pushed to her limits and has her patience tested, especially when her path crosses with a young runaway.
Redux Redux occupies an interesting middle ground between high-concept sci-fi and real-world thriller. Much like Rian Johnson’s Looper or the excellent and underappreciated Things Will Be Different (which premiered at last year’s SXSW), the McManus’ brothers film features a grounded aesthetic and, to the naked eye, is far from a sci-fi film. The film is set in places like run-of-the-mill American diners and the California desert and features characters wearing contemporary clothes and having normal conversations, creating a comfortable and familiar atmosphere. Within such familiarity though is a heightened element that takes the film into decidedly sci-fi territory: the multiverse. While coexisting a grounded aesthetic with high-concept sci-fi is not particularly novel, the usage of the multiverse is, as are the emotions evoked by the story and the depth to the story’s characters.
Undoubtedly, Redux Redux features one of the most clever film premises in recent years. A revenge tale about a mother traveling through the multiverse to kill her daughter’s murderer over and over again proves to be instantly compelling (and is an easy sell if prospective viewers were picking what to watch based on synopsis alone). Thankfully, the McManus brothers don’t squander the immense potential of this premise, executing the story with an approachability and sense of intrigue that afford plenty of space for rich character work.
Approachability is a key word here. Describing Redux Redux as such is not to downplay its heavier themes and darker moments, but, rather, emphasizes the film’s solid handling of a potentially unwieldy concept. The multiverse can get very complicated very quickly and, in turn, its inclusion in a film can render it more of a cognitive exercise than an enjoyable watching experience. Through an intelligently structured script though, the McManus brothers subvert this issue. The film’s premise becomes evident within the first 10 minutes, serving as an immediate hook for the audience that doesn’t let go. But the world-building and explanation of the multiverse, in particular how this mother has the ability to travel through it, is not delivered right away. Instead, pieces of this information are sprinkled organically throughout, which makes for a film that never gets bogged down in dense exposition. The writing is so sharp that there aren’t lingering questions left about how the mechanics of the multiverse work, thus allowing the audience to be more present in the journey of its characters.
The mother hopping through the multiverse is brilliantly portrayed by Michaela McManus. Known for her roles as Lindsey Strauss in One Tree Hill and currently as Kendra Harrington in 9-1-1: Lone Star, McManus takes on a heavy task here in having to convey immense trauma and depression concurrent with an unrelenting desire for revenge. Disturbed and driven are a delicate balance of emotions to play, and yet McManus triumphs with a strong and authentic performance.
For a while, Redux Redux feels like it will singularly focus on McManus’ Irene character. Investment in Irene’s trauma and mission comes quickly, which makes the entrance of another major character a bit later into the movie a tad derailing. This is no fault of Stella Marcus, the phenomenal young actress who makes her feature film debut here (although one could be easily mistaken in thinking she’s a seasoned pro given the quality of her performance). Instead, the issue lies in the extent to which focus on Marcus’ character takes away from Irene, especially in the middle act. It also doesn’t help that Marcus’ oppositional teenage character isn’t as immediately likable as McManus’ Irene. After losing its footing here, Redux Redux overcomes this hump as more time is spent with Marcus’ character and investment in her emotional arc eventually solidifies. As the bond between McManus’ and Marcus’ characters grows, the film manages to overcome its rocky introduction of a new character.
Potentially alleviating this film could have been a tighter edit. Redux Redux runs about 15 minutes too long and shaving these minutes off the runtime may have allowed the film to flow more smoothly through its middle act and introduction of Marcus’ characters.
Things pick up immensely in the final act though with a palpably intense ending. Redux Redux has one of those endings that you can’t help but grip your chair as you watch. The stakes are so high, the danger is imminent, and our care for these characters has grown to unexpected heights. All of this makes for a dramatic showdown and an extremely well executed ending.
Two other characters/actors are worth noting in this review. The first is Jim Cummings, known for his work starring, writing, and directing hidden gems like Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow, and The Beta Test. Cummings plays a small role in Redux Redux, but, as is always the case with Cummings, you’re left wanting to see more of him as his performance is just that captivating.
The same can be said for Jeremy Holm, who plays the serial killer Irene hunts after. Holm delivers an understated and unsettling performance, even if his character features disappointingly little in the film. Throughout, one can’t help but want to know more about the serial killer who has become the fixation of our lead character. And yet very little is gleaned about his character, both in terms of backstory and personality. The ending of the film rectifies this somewhat, although more time spent with the serial killer would have added even more tension to an already tense film.
VERDICT: 8/10
In a film and television industry overpopulated with tales of the multiverse, Redux Redux stands out as a fresh, inspired, and emotional take on parallel universes. Fusing high-concept sci-fi with a grounded aesthetic, akin to Rian Johnson’s Looper, Michael Felker’s Things Will Be Different, and even David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return, the film written and directed by brothers Kevin and Matthew McManus captivates from the very beginning with a strong premise and selective world-building. Doing so allows the film’s characters and their emotional arcs to flourish, liberated from the convoluted stories that hinder many films about the multiverse or time travel. Although the film runs about 15 minutes too long and stumbles when the introduction of a new character somewhat derails focus on the lead we’ve grown invested in, it manages to find its footing again with a sharp script and growing emotional attachment to its lead characters. Michaela McManus phenomenally portrays a disturbed and driven mother willing to traverse the multiverse to seek revenge for her daughter’s murder, while Stella Marcus marks her feature film debut with a performance embedded with incredible emotional intelligence and range. A small role from the always terrific Jim Cummings serves as the cherry on top of one of the most unique revenge films in recent years, even if the serial killer at the heart of the revenge is underexplored. Redux Redux resoundingly proves that there are still novel ways for films and television to explore the multiverse.