Disremember

Matthew Simpson’s Disremember is an incredibly impressive solo project that won’t be ‘disremembered’ in a hurry. This memory-bending mystery thriller is solo-directed by its star, and tackles emotional questions around PTSD, trauma and addiction.

The film follows Rob (Matthew Simpson), a former soldier tormented by alcoholism and memory-loss. After learning that his wife wants a divorce, Rob finds himself in the home of a friend with no memory of how he arrived. Determined to piece together his mind, he takes steps to track his movements – including setting up CCTV to monitor his actions. What he finds twists his world upside down.

Disremember is an astounding piece of filmmaking and a proper production triumph from its creator and star Matthew Simpson. The credits demonstrate some of the techniques used in the film’s creation, with the innovation use of face-tracking cameras a particular highlight as they are used to simulate Rob’s fragile mental state. The process is seamless and means Matthew Simpson can focus on delivering a memorable performance, confident that the production steps put into place make for fluid camera work that draws the viewer into Rob’s world. Largely set in a single location, Simpson makes sure that his film is visually stimulating and invigorating, thanks to a combination of the aforementioned camera work and impressive lighting that adds an unnerving unsteadiness to the experience.

The plot is centred around Rob’s traumatised and fractured memories, as he tries to piece together the mystery of his relationships and how he has come to find himself alone in the apartment. There will be some familiar territory for fans of predecessors like Memento – such as the presence of the protagonist as narrator and an inherent unpredictability to recollections that border on suspicion. Simpson’s storytelling is gripping, even if some of the film’s twists lean towards the predictable side. Rob’s history in the military is interwoven with trauma and alcoholism which lead to all kind of different plot threads and story angles as the mystery is explored, that are sure to keep viewer’s attention.

A unique production alone makes Disremember worth checking out, and Matthew Simpson’s herculean efforts at bringing his idea to the screen singlehandedly deserve serious plaudits. In some ways it is a bonus that the film is as good as it is in as many traditional ways as novel ones. A fantastic, visceral leading performance, winding and engrossing plot and immersive atmosphere would serve any film, of any size, of any budget well. That Simpson accomplishes all of these along with his restrictions is truly commendable.