Anna

aka Mindscape

Director - Jorge Dorado (New Times)

Starring - Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story: Freak Show), Mark Strong (Kick-Ass, Green Lantern), and Brian Cox (Deadwood)

Release Date - 2013

Genre - Thriller/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Don't let her in"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

  

      I try to keep my reviews to horror and films that I watched when I was a child but sometimes I come across other genres that peak my interest. Sometimes these films belong to a genre or sub-genre that I normally don't like but these films just look too damn good to miss up.  With that being said, the one genre that I never like is the thriller and suspense genre.  These usually bore the fuck out of me.  However, I recently covered a film titled Anna, aka Mindscape, and the film looked great so I had to check it out.  I reached out to my friends over at Vertical Entertainment and they were nice enough to send me a review copy.  Thanks!

     The film follows John (Mark Strong) who has the ability to enter people's minds and see their memories.  He was the world's best at this but due to an accident that left him a widower he has lost his touch and struggles financially.  He meets up with a friend and former colleague who tells him about a young girl who he once tried to help.  Her step-dad thinks she needs to be committed but he does not think that she needs it.  He agrees to see Anna and go through her memories.  Once he arrives at their mansion he notices that they keep Anna under lock and key and the father figure of the home treats her as a burden instead of a child.  He meets Anna and has a few sessions where he goes through her memories.  After each session he learns that she may not be innocent and that she has the gift of changing her memories to make him see what she wants him to see.  Anna eventually tricks John and manipulates him resulting in a elaborate set up and framing him of murder.
     Thrillers tend to bore the shit out of me with their elaborate stories that try way to hard to mindfuck the viewer.  They forget that the film is meant to send chills down the viewers spine while giving them a engrossing story.  That is what I really liked about Anna.  The film did not forget what it meant to be a psychological thriller and hit the nail on the head so to speak.  The acting in this film is fucking fantastic.  When a film has class I try not to swear in my reviews because they tend to get shared on their various pages but I have no other way to word it.  The acting in this film really is fucking fantastic and you can quote me on that.  Mark Strong and Taissa Farmiga are both amazing.  Mark is no stranger to my television having starred in several films I love like Kick-Ass and Green Lantern.  Taissa Farmiga definitely made a name for herself in this film and she will be one I look for in future films.  The story for this one is clever but something about it just feels...old.  The film's story is told beautifully and perfectly executed but the story just feels like it is one I have seen before but for the life of me I just can't recall what movie it is.  Finally, the film does not have any deaths and on screen kills.  Instead, the film relies on rich storytelling and a flawless acting to make it entertaining.  Overall, Anna is a great psychological thriller that makes me you think while entertaining you.  Check this one out!