Review Written for clapperltd.co.uk
Director Paul Hyett delivers a solid mix of Cronenberg style body-horror and the tech phobia associated with Black Mirror with the thriller Peripheral.
Bobbi (Hannah Arterton) is a successful yet far from wealthy author, with her debut novel being the spark that caused mass riots within her home city of London. Despite the apparent success, Bobbi is beginning to endure the increasing amount of pressure placed upon her as she struggles to create her much anticipated follow up to the debut, as well as failing to keep on top of house bills. The young novelist finds herself striking a deal with manager Jordan (Belinda Stewart Wilson), all bills and expenses will be paid for, providing that Bobbi writes her new novel utilizing an alternative type of writing technology to her classic typewriter, a computer that can expertly edit writing as it is created.
What follows is a well performed delve into madness from the lead Hannah Arterton, who successfully carries much of the film through to its conclusion, delivering some difficult scenes on the way there. There’s plenty for Arterton to work with, despite the small number of locations the film never feels as if it is limited in its scope. The introduction of an ex-boyfriend doubling as a drug dealer (Elliot James Langridge) provides some needed background for Bobbi, despite some of the dialogue between the two being often front loaded in exposition.
The writing technology initially presents itself in the typical fair that may reinforce those initial feelings of Black Mirror. As Bobbi becomes more accustomed to the presence of the supercomputer, its beings to evolve and adapt as it slowly merges with her being. However just when the film begins to feel slightly familiar to those types of Human vs Technology stories, Peripheral shifts from a thriller into an intense body-horror akin to the works of Cronenberg, with the likes of Videodrome and The Brood seeming to be some key inspirations. In addition to crossing genre, the shift also allows the film to convey its themes far more successfully and in a surprisingly memorable way, with writer Dan Schaffer expressing some familiar frustrations felt within the machine that is storytelling in modern society.
Peripheral does verge on being unashamedly retro feeling, with a pumping electro score from Si Begg, and a vibrant and psychedelic neon visual style from D.O.P Peter Taylor. Yet the film can’t ever fully commit to its own style, with some scenes feeling dull when compared to some of the more memorable scenes. The Twilight Zone/Black Mirror short story concept does at times struggle to justify its feature length, as the repetitiveness beings to set in towards the middle portion of the film.
Peripheral is an effective and memorable thriller full of twists and plenty of surprises, successfully expressing the struggles that many creatives feel toward a system that at times seems only interested in regurgitating old ideas.Â