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Filmmakers David Charbonier and Justin Douglas Powell aren’t flashy creators, yet they’ve thrived thus far on simplicity. The Boy Behind the Door and The Djinn are formulaic horror tales, albeit effectively streamlined as chilly indie delights. Their latest, Push, also keeps it simple (stupid) — but to a detriment. Charbonier and Powell operate in a middle ground of home invasion terror that is technically sound, but spooky-scary decibels barely reach above a murmur. It’s digestible, it’s accessible, but at the end of the tour, there’s nothing that sets this listing apart from twenty other haunted architectures on the market.
Alicia Sanz stars as Natalie, an 8-months-pregnant, soon-to-be-single mother and real estate agent new to America. It’s a big day; Natalie’s hosting an open house for a supposedly “unsellable” property. For years, agents have failed to offload an estate tied to death and decay, but Natalie sees opportunity. If she can successfully ink a buyer, perhaps lingering doubts about her self-worth (after the death of her fiancé) will vanish. Too bad her only visitor doesn’t seem keen on being her hero buyer (played by Raúl Castillo), and what’s worse, he doesn’t want to leave.
The problem is, I’ve seen Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s 2007 New French Extremity masterpiece Inside. I’ve also seen Netflix’s Dylan Minnette vehicle The Open House. Charbonier and Powell have one foot planted in each property, but lack the fearlessness to challenge boundaries both comparable films blaze past. Push takes a docile (by comparison) route to Natalie’s self-defense tactics, as Castillo’s invader chases his target through room after room. It’s a bit rinse-and-repeat, since the for-sale floor plan is where the majority of the film takes place. Dark hallways, shadowy figures, and reason after reason to prevent Natalie’s escape.
The title “Push” is apt, because everything feels like it’s missing an emphatic push into overdrive. It’s never a bad film, only a cyclical and lethargic take on standard trespassing beats. Daniel Katz’s cinematography conveys a labyrinthian quality about the 1800s setting, but there isn’t non-stop action to capture. Sanz’s lead performance is hardly Béatrice Dalle’s battered and broken part as La Femme in Inside, but she’s a capable enough damsel in distress. Then there’s Castillo’s menacing antagonist, the shadowy pursuer who’s always three steps behind so he won’t end the hunt too early.
If this review sounds especially “yeah, duh,” that’s because Push is never more than expected, from Natalie’s motherhood rage to elements of proving yourself against society’s preconceptions. That by-the-books approach has favored Charbonier and Powell in the past, but in Push, there’s a clunkiness and sluggishness to Natalie’s nightmarish end to her professional event’s failure. You can set your watch to the next scare or botched rescue attempt, whether that’s inept law enforcement à la Inside or Castillo’s “Client” watching Natalie descend an old-timey elevator system. It’s meant to be predatory, but it’s hardly a lion toying with its prey. More of a delay, keeping us from an inevitable conclusion.
When you’re forced to the brink, how will you react? That’s the question Push poses, like countless stand-your-ground horror films before. Charbonier and Powell don’t betray their reputation as dependable, get-it-done filmmakers, but come up short in a way they have not to this point. Everything is borderline “fine,” teetering on “fine enough,” which is an underwhelming place to exist. Frustratingly, Push is not where the duo makes the jump from competence to exceptionality.
Movie Score: 2.5/5
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