There is no denying that Rebecca Hall is on fire.
Hall had her directorial debut at last year’s Sundance Film Festival with Passing and gave one of the most underrated performances of 2021 in The Night House; an understated, nuanced performance that was heartbreaking. However, as 2022 arrives and this year’s Sundance Film Festival commences, Hall is back with a vengeance with Resurrection. A film filled with Cronenberg-esque tension and feels that will quench a cinephiles’ thirst.
Written and directed by Andrew Semans, Resurrection tells the story of Margaret and Abbie. Margaret is a single mother and executive who’s set to send her daughter, Abbie, to college. Triggered by a figure from her past returning, Margaret’s life spins out of control.
Semans’ screenplay beautifully crafts a layered film full of revelations that keep any perceptions about the film’s direction at bay. Semans demands the audience to go along with Margaret rather than create assumptions about that said journey. Through Semans’ screenplay, the film is tense without revealing too much. Once all the divulgences are placed at our feet, that unnerve is warranted.
Semans’ effectiveness is his ability to create a film that serves as an exceptional psychological horror, but a film rich with themes of abuse, hate, fear, and recovery. In the traditional sense of horror, Resurrection is not. There is no Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, or Freddy Krueger, but in turn, the truest of villains – real human beings.
Aiding Semans’ screenplay are the performances. Grace Kaufman serves up a satisfactory performance as Abbie. There are never moments when you don’t sense genuine concern from Abbie towards her mother’s downward spiral. Tim Roth brings his unique talents to the film and gives a terrifying portrayal as David. Never raising his voice, Roth brings a level of madness and terror to his performance that has cinephiles truly fearful for Margaret.
Though cinephiles should applaud the film’s supporting players, it is the Rebecca Hall show. Powerhouse, tour de force, and many other adjectives can be placed at the feet of Hall’s performance. Hall is downright mesmerizing throughout, including one unbroken 10-minute take where Hall evokes layers of emotion that genuinely relay Margaret’s trauma. It’s a scene that is sure to stand amongst the best of the year. A career-best performance for Hall that enters the pantheon of Sundance thriller/horror greats like Toni Collette in Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Lupita Nyong’o in Jordan Peele’s Us.
Resurrection‘s conclusion will stick with many, but also stands up with a finale David Cronenberg would be proud of. It’s chilling, haunting, and matches the electricity of the film. This stands out as one of my favorite films of the festival, easily because of Rebecca Hall’s performance. 
