Earwig
Earwig

Earwig

2022Movie114 minEnglish

Somewhere in Europe, mid-20th century. Albert is employed to look after Mia, a girl with teeth of ice. Mia never leaves their apartment, where the shutters are always closed. The telephone rings regularly and the Master enquires after Mia's wellbeing. Until the day Albert is instructed that he must prepare the child to leave.

Read Reviews

Insights

IMDb5.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes71%
Metacritic64/100
Google Users73%
Director: Lucile HadzihalilovicGenres: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Plot Summary

In a secluded apartment, a reclusive man is tasked with caring for a young woman whose body is covered in sharp, metallic teeth. As the days pass and the strange arrangement continues, the man's past actions begin to unravel, revealing a disturbing and surreal connection between his work and the woman's bizarre condition. The film blurs the lines between reality and delusion as the man grapples with his own psyche and the unsettling nature of his charge.

Critical Reception

Earwig received mixed to positive reviews from critics, with many praising its unique atmosphere, visual style, and unsettling themes. Some found the film's deliberate pacing and abstract narrative challenging, while others appreciated its originality and disturbing imagery. The performances, particularly Paul Hilton's, were generally well-regarded.

What Reviewers Say

  • Visually striking and atmospherically dense, offering a unique and unsettling cinematic experience.
  • A challenging but rewarding film for those who appreciate avant-garde horror and psychological mystery.
  • Divisive for its ambiguous narrative, but undeniably original and thought-provoking.

Google audience: Audience reviews often highlight the film's distinct visual aesthetic and its ability to create a pervasive sense of unease. Many appreciated its departure from conventional horror tropes, though some found the plot difficult to follow.

Fun Fact

Director Lucile Hadzihalilovic often employs dreamlike, unsettling imagery in her films, exploring themes of transformation and hidden desires, which is evident in the surreal elements of 'Earwig'.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
Henrietta2025

Henrietta2025

Dark dark dark dark dark, makes David Lynch look like a sitcom. If you enjoy (like I do) not really knowing what's going on, stories that are open ended and able to be interpreted any number of ways - this is a great film for you. I found ...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

What ever you do, don't have lunch immediately before you watch this. I made that mistake and a combination of pasta, a comfortable seat in a dark and warm cinema and the glacially slow nature of the story here made it nigh on impossible fo...