Dimension Slip

Selected for Flicker's Rhode Island and winner of winner of the Directorial Discovery Award, this sci-fi mystery thriller marks Barbara Toschi's feature film directorial debut, written by Jason Fite and starring Sophie Craig, Andrew Norman, Derek Nelson, Christian Blundell and Sally Rowe.

The plot? Think of Sliding Doors and The Butterfly Effect. Craig plays Kate, a young English woman who is plagued by frequent migraines. One day, she inexplicably finds herself in another reality, where she is Hannah, a woman with the exact same physical appearance, but who has a different life, surrounded by people who also look exactly the same in Kate's world, however, they also are different characters. Eventually, Kate (or Hannah, depending how you look at it) encounters Nickolei (Norman), an elderly gentleman who explains to her that she is now living the life of another version of herself and that version is now living her life. He also informs her that someone is looking to harm her.

This slow burner pays a lot of emphasis on Kate's struggles to comprehend Hannah's life and adjust to it. We follow Kate as she deals with her annoying brother, Jack (Blundell), her ex-partner, Mike (Dan Deluca), her psychiatrist, Dr. Anscombe (Rowe) and her terrible boss, Andrew (Nelson Ward). The screenplay shows how Kate learns more and more about Hannah's issues and attempts to overcome them, finding out more about herself in the process and gaining confidence. Significant character development takes place, along with suspense and drama and the atmospheric music by Marco Werba is a big plus.

Craig leads the film well, portraying a person trapped in an alternate reality that co-exists with her's. She plays a person who changes significantly by her new environments, resulting in her understanding herself and finding the courage to deal with problems. Norman's character is a mysterious man who comprehends Kate's extraordinary situation and wants to help her. Kierath Jandoo's role basically consists of Kate's supportive friend, her shoulder to cry on.

By thinking about the plot, one could state that this film examines the theory of the existence of miltiple realities existing simultaneously. Via Craig's character (or characters), self-identity, self-esteem, self-discovery and mental health become subjects to be considered and Nelson and Perry Mavrides have roles that represent support. One could argue that there are elements of anti-male and they are evident via Mike, an aggressive partner, Andrew, an obnoxious employer and Jack, a dishonest sibling. Additionally, the narrative also involves the ruthlessness of companies. From another perspective, this film can make viewers think of how a person's life can take a variety of paths.

A sci-fi thriller about alternate realities that concentrates on the heroine's character development. Strong performances and an intriguing add value, however, the slow pace might be an issue for some.