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This is a very good and sadly very relatable psychological horror film about generational trauma and the damage a parent can do to their child when mental illness goes unchecked.
The fact that the main character is a gay man hit that much closer to home. Had this been about him dealing with his father instead of mother, I could have been watching a dramatization of my own life! Luckily my story isn’t nearly as grim as this, but it is a horror movie after all.
Yes, the hallucination that the main character often sees is an almost dead ringer for the rabbit in Donnie Darko. I almost wonder if that is supposed to be a sort of homage to that…
queer body horror that’s both sparse and erotic; an impressive debut and one that embraces the more abstract fringes of the genre while not alienating those that just want to be scared — but there are some moments here that will be jarring for even the more jaded genre vets
A slow-burning descent into madness, that blurs the lines between reality and delusion. I’m a bit conflicted about how I feel about this film as it oscillates between a frighteningly dark family drama and perhaps a silly, over the top portrayal of mental illness. Though some sequences are quite memorable, there's just something with how it's put together and how some of the lines are delivered that are distracting. Overall, it's quite disappointing but at least it boasts a great performance by Zach Villa.
The powerful fear of what trauma does to our body and mind, is so enigmatic and incomprehensible yet so perceivable. This is where Hypochondriac is willing to take us with a very eccentric character; on a journey of facing his demons, overcoming emotional trauma and trying to rationalize a state of mind that isn’t tangible.
From the perspective of a horror film, it works to some degree to freak us out but the movie is at its strongest with the psychological thriller view of how a character can become his own worst enemy. It’s a challenging film in a way, it doesn’t exaggerate mental illness position, makes most of the encounters with other characters feel like…
This film had so much potential. Too bad, it lacks in execution. It's such an interesting exploration of childhood trauma and relationships, presented in the form of a somewhat metaphorical/hallucinatory horror film. I was so captivated by this character and his story. This film is funny at times, sweet at times, creepy at times, unsettling at times and incredibly sad at times. There are some emotionally painful moments in this film, and it feels realistic in the way it deals with mental illness and how it gets to affect the way a person interacts with other people, which means it interferes with every facet of a person's life, showing the importance of having someone supportive on your side. From an…
This starts off nicely and dives into the leads issue of feeling as though something is wrong but everyone keeps telling him it’s stress (which has actually happened to me so I’m kinda suprised this didn’t hit me hard) .. then there’s his boyfriend who just wants him to open up and a decent amount of the film is spect on relationship drama - which works well actually.. but the development of his issue is ok .. at a certain point things started to feel a little silly and a lot of it just too reminiscent of Donnie Darko which was very hard to shake .. the story was sacrificed for trippy visuals and spooky moments which didn’t progress anything or look that great. So we watch this guy spiral and it just doesn’t wind up feeling realistic enough I think .. I love the concept but not the way it unfolds..
Despite a boisterous leading performance and timely commentary on the flaws of the health care system, Hypochondriac lost me midway and its title left me confused as to what it was really trying to say especially after such a compelling manifestation of mental illness.
A interesting angle on mental illness, hypercondriac revolves around a guy who is happy, has a boyfriend and is content in his job making pottery but when his mom gets back in touch after ten years it stirrs up the past and opens up a path of violence and nightmarish hallucinations with a wolf and some symptoms that are unexplainable. The film has a great story and it explores childhood trauma and it's effects on the charcater when he's grown up. Iys at times upsetting, funny and tucked up with some chilling images and uncomfortable scenes. It's not a conventional horror film and the horror aspect wasn't compelling for me, working more as a character study and psychological drama. It's not perfect but zach villa who plays the lead really grabs the viewers attentions and does great work at getting into the mindset of a character losing touch with reality.
The potential of this one! A queer, latine man being tormented by traumas of the past and the potential mental illness of his present as it slowly eats away at his daily life. Considering the many issues a lot of latine, queer people face and the overall attitude of topics like mental illness and health in general within the latine community (we do not like going to the doctor), Hypochondriac had the opportunity to really bust the topic wide open.
As it stands, it's a capable psycho-drama. Zach Villa is the best thing about the film, he's charismatic and sells the film, something that's is very good…
Very impressive psychological horror debut that has some stunning anamorphic widescreen images that stick with you and two fantastic leads that make you believe this relationship is going to be seriously tested by the main characters mentally terrifying journey along with some effective DONNIE DARKO-inspired creepy figures looming in the darkness.
HYPOCHONDRIAC is a perfect queer horror film that deals with mental health and emotions. Scary, weird, heartfelt, and beautifully photographed. Hope this one gets out there in a big way because not only is it good - it’s actually helpful in knowing you’re not alone. #SXSW2022
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