Good afternoon, House of Madness residents:
When it comes to decision making, countless times I've heard the warnings, yet so many times I've ignored the sound cautionary advice of friends, strangers, and my own mind alike. Within that delicious-looking slice of gluten-free chocolate cake lies a texture comparable to beach sand, just waiting to make you gag and fill every crevice of your teeth with a vile crunchiness. Behind the door with a sign that reads "Employees Only" is a mop and bucket used exclusively for cleaning up after drunken teenagers; some of which have battled their stomach's insistence of refunding its contents and losing, while others wish they had it so easy as they smell the dankness someone's bladder has blessed the front of their pants and the floor with. As tempting as it is to ignore and override the recommendations of those in the know, or simply those who know better, so often we feel like the warnings they project don't apply to us, and we are utterly impervious to the dangers that lurk within. Enter "The Harbinger", a film I knew nothing about before viewing, and even though the critics and casual film watchers alike have given it favourable reviews, there was a voice inside my head that refused to stop trying to halt my viewing experience, and move on to something else. *sigh*, I never listen.
Monique or Mo as she likes to be called (Gabby Beans) is trying her best to live life during the pandemic, as she passes the days in her house with her father Ronald (Raymond Anthony Thomas) and her brother Lyle (Myles Walker). Mo's family takes every precaution necessary, as Ronald isn't getting any younger, and the sooner everyone gets on board with the safety protocols, the sooner life can go back to normal. Groceries and all of life's staples are ordered online and delivered, wiped down and sanitized, as leaving the house is a matter of necessity and necessity only for Mo and her family. Until one day when Mo receives a phone call from her former college roommate Mavis (Emily Davis), a woman Mo owes her life to for saving her from self harm many years ago when things were dark and bleak. Against the wishes of both Ronald and Lyle, Mo insists leaving their safety bubble is something she needs to do, and is willing to quarantine herself in the guest room for two weeks afterwards if necessary. Against her father's wishes, Mo heads out later that night in an effort to rescue her friend from whatever she's suffering from, and return home when her mission is seen through to the end.
Mavis is thrilled to see Mo, and after an afternoon reminiscing and catching up on each other's current lifestyles, Mavis explains that she's having bad dreams. Not just bad dreams, but dreams in which she can't seem to wake from for days, and no matter how hard she tries to revive herself from her catatonic state, she just can't seem to shake her dreams and return to the real world. Not only that, but there is a demon-like presence in her dreams that seems to be at the root of all of her visions, and it's becoming more and more vividly authentic with each passing dream. Mo decides to spend the night in the same bed as Mavis, promising to wake her if she falls victim to another night of wakeless despair.
Not only does Mo capture a glimpse of the nightmare Mavis is enduring, but she has found herself entwined in it, all the way to the point of seeing the sick little boy Edward (Cody Braverman) who lives upstairs in Mavis's building being tormented by the demon Mavis has described: a being which appears like an old fashioned 'Plague Doctor', but seems to possess intentions of malevolence in place of healing. The next day Mo finds a demonologist named Wendy (Laura Heisler) online, and sets up an appointment via FaceTime. Describing the demon isn't helping much, so Mo draws the evil apparition on a sketch pad, which causes Wendy to demand its destruction before she will continue. The women comply, and Wendy explains it's not a 'Plague Doctor' they're dealing with at all, but a demon known as a Harbinger which enters through people's dreams and torments them until it's powerful enough to not just kill you, but wipe your entire existence from ever taking place, including all of your possessions, and all memories of you, while it spreads through your sharing of its existence with others. The only way to stop it is basically turning the tables, and removing all traces and memories of the Harbinger, stopping it in its tracks - leaving it unable to inhabit the minds of another, and abolishing it back into the unknown realm it inaugurated in. Sounds simple enough, but each passing day the danger heightens while Mo and Mavis's existence is in jeopardy, and if the battle is lost, who will remember them?
My main issue isn't with the idea "The Harbinger" is based on, not at all; my issue is with the way it was executed. The attempt at using a demonic story as a metaphor for our current world state while questioning the footprint we as individuals leave behind as our legacy seems interesting, but it's told in a way that is anything but interesting, and makes the minutes go by feeling more like hours. That, and not only does Edward's character feel tacked on because he was essentially irrelevant all film until he suddenly wasn't, but the demon known as the Harbinger just wasn't scary, and I never felt a sense of dread or discomfort when it was on screen because we were never really given a reason to until the credits are about to roll. I love slow-burns, but unfortunately for me "The Harbinger" never even takes flight, let alone catches fire. Oh well, like I said earlier: I never listen.
Madness Meter: 4.1/10
NB
