Dirty Laundry Film Review

Star Rating: 4/5

Director: Aaron Martinez

Writer: Guy Pooles

Starring: Zander Faden

Trauma is one of the horror genre's areas of expertise but it can also explore deeply held, present (not always real) fears, as well as pain. Dirty Laundry, starring a brilliant performance by Zander Faden in the role of Sam, is a really good case in point. 

This is a heartfelt, imaginative piece exploring the emotional struggles that are possible in childhood; a difficult subject matter, but this film pulls it off well, with understated simplicity, and cuteness- a particular achievement for the horror genre in terms of tone. There are well known examples of horror movies exploring the theme of childhood- The Orphanage, directed by J. A Bayona, being a particular stand out for me.

Dirty Laundry is very different in that it does not deal in a story to re-discover or a truth from the past to be faced. It deals in the here and now. Fear is represented by the dirty laundry in the basement, which the protagonist, Sam, having run out of clean clothes and unable in the opening scene to connect with his mother who is in the grip of a depression, has no choice but to go and deal with- triggering the plot. We see this is mixed with the pain of school bullying, so prevalent in American society which the film explores. Overwhelm, abandonment and broken communication are all portrayed, from Sam's point of view. 

The question throughout the film is whether Sam will find the strength to communicate. The vulnerability of early life is subtly brought out by greatly precise direction. Not only do the shots convey powerful points of view, but also the way Sam struggles to make eye contact, is inspired performance direction. 

Visually, this piece is recognisable horror- with a muted, cold colour palette and making good use of sound and silence contrast. The basement scenes in particular showcase some brilliant cinematography. As well as being technically very solid, Dirty Laundry features some beautiful locations- a great tool in horror films as contrast to the plot and the action, for a more textured result. In particular, the school, where even the teacher gets bullied, is nonetheless a place of architectural and natural beauty. 

The locations are also big spaces, in contrast to Sam who is young and small. This may have to do with it being set in a country where space, both natural and built, is ample, but can be seen as a great creative choice. 

'Do you have a hero?' Sam is asked by his teacher after a candid chat after class. By the end of Dirty Laundry, we get to see who Sam's hero really is.