Margo [Review]

A few days back I got the chance to witness the trailer for Matthew Packman’s latest feature film Margo, and while it didn’t really give anything away, which I love, it left me wanting more, it left me at heights of anticipation and I couldn’t wait to witness this one. Thankfully the feature film came into my hands and well, I wasn’t expecting anything quite like what I just witnessed.

Margo is a slow-burn drama/thriller and it’s utterly fascinating to watch. The film is set in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future and it follows Libby played by Lauren Schaubert. It starts off fairly innocently to begin with, Libby and her lover, partner and soul-mate, played by Brady Suedmeyer, are each others companions. They’re there for each other, and they seem to flow so organically, it’s really beautiful to watch.

In order to survive they must hunt for supplies, food, first-aid, anything they can get their hands on, but sadly for them they hit up the wrong place and they soon become the hunted, in a desperate escape for survival, Libby’s lover meets an untimely death and shocking death to which Libby must survive alone or at least die trying.

From her on out, Libby is alone in the world, she’s lost her soul-mate, and it’s a harrowing experience for her. We witness her struggle to continue in this world, and as we do we see her develop into a stronger woman, but not without some faults. Soon, Libby is hunted by the titular character Margo, played by Abbey Hickey, and it becomes apparent that she isn’t going to go down without a fight and the two inflict extreme amounts of violence on each other in primal rage, as they each fight for survival, or is there something much deeper at the core?

The film intensifies as it progresses and it all feels very raw and off the cuff, and while it is slow in some parts, it does make up for it in its brooding and dark nature which makes for a very unnerving experience. There are times however where you will be on the edge-of-your-seat as the tension builds and the story becomes more harrowing.

The film plays on our urge to find companionship, and not to be alone. It gets under your skin and really makes you think about life, death and the yearning for love. It’s more than a thriller, it’s almost like a character study on us as humans, and Matthew Packman has managed to create something that is sure to be on your mind for days after you’ve witnessed this one.

Like I’ve said though, there are times where I thought it could have been shortened down a bit, just to help make it flow a little easier, but maybe that’s just me nit-picking at things.

What I do love is the fact that you don’t actually see much of this post-apocalypse world, it’s left more to your imagination as to why society has collapsed and I think it’s great instead of constantly spoon-feeding us every single detail.

It was an emotional journey, and one that I won’t forget. It gets under your skin and it stays there.