Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time is a self-reflection on grief, depression and self-loathing through the lens of a broken individual grappling with the sudden loss of her partner. Presented through surrealism, the narrative features a drug-fueled protagonist and a moody atmosphere that pervades the story. The film deals with the repercussions of the damage grief can cause to ourselves and to others, and the exploration of addiction as a coping mechanism for pain.

The piece opens with a high pulse and energetic energy stylistically, utilising music within a party sequence as the central character drowns out her self-pity through excess and loudness while partying. The camera chooses to focus on her body through visual storytelling to convey the profound pain she is putting herself through to numb the pain of her inner turmoil. The focus then slowly transitions into self-reflection as the central character tries to piece together her grief and why her partner chose to commit suicide. The use of voice-over is another effective narrative device that feels unsettling due to its placement within dream-like sequences. While the narrative can feel stagnant due to the piece being presented through a surrealist angle, the central performance does keep the story engaging, even if it is demanding to experience frequently due to the sombre subject matter.

At times, the story can also feel confused, due to the character’s state of mind vastly changing through her drug and alcohol addiction. While this does a solid job of conveying the visceral point of view of its central protagonist, it would have been beneficial to give more leeway to the viewer due to how challenging and ambiguous it can feel. One of the substantial standouts of the piece is the musical score. Wonderfully composed by Ryan Vail, the score is melancholic and haunting to reflect the film's themes and potentially aid the overall level of emotional resonance to leave a lasting impact on the viewer long after the credits roll. Another stylistic choice that stands out formally is the use of black and white cinematography to potentially convey the protagonist letting go of her grief and falling into the depths of her destructive release.

The direction is truly splendid due to how it cuts from scenes of excess to more calm and reflective scenes; a heavy use of close-ups tracks the protagonist to express urgency and changing states of mind. Tonally, these themes can be tough to grasp as a viewer due to how uncompromising this feels while exploring themes of suicide, depression and grief. However, filmmakers need to shine a light on heavy themes such as this to let others know they're not alone in this, and cinema can be a mirror of reality for some to escape into. Even with a condensed runtime, the piece does an incredible job of expressing its themes and giving the audience a sense of what the central character is going through. The conclusion to the narrative is ambiguous and haunting in what is suggested for the character’s fate.

Daylight Saving Time is a compelling depiction of the destruction grief can cause to individuals and a visceral sensory experience due to how painstakingly raw it is. Led tremendously by a terrific central performance from Zara Flynn, and wonderfully written and directed by David Vail. While the piece can feel exhausting to endure by the end of the runtime, it still manages to feel astoundingly powerful and haunting in its presentation, even with its faults along the way.