Bibi (2023) Film Review | Movie-Blogger.com
Aside from a few not-so-useful plot points, there isn’t much to it Bibi which allows us to actually figure out what the hell is going on. The first act is very teasing as it hints that the film may follow the same narrative: “the woman goes crazy, starts seeing things and no one believes her”. After checking a few items on the checklist, Bibi it remained a nightmare with many layers that wouldn’t stop. At least in that respect, it’s a very different movie than I thought.
Chris Beatty writes and directs a solid psychological thriller that is sure to put him in the spotlight for future projects. With Bibi, proves he can handle multi-layered films that are far from simple and provide structure that transcends genre conventions. Next to the actress Elizabeth Paige takes a path where storytelling is far from easy.
In Bibi, a grieving mother struggles with tragedy. Vivian is haunted by past events that cross the boundaries of dreams and turn her days into misty landscapes. It doesn’t help that he’s also going through drug abuse and a stalking figure appears outside his massive home. However, the people around her don’t seem to believe she’s being honest about her condition. In other words, they start to suspect that it’s all in his head.
Before I start spoiling the movie, I will say that Beatty does a good job of revealing things early on. Again, he doesn’t go for the traditional storyline of a woman admitting that something is wrong with her. There is always someone by Vivian’s side. A figure whose kinship I won’t spoil, but the key to the resolution of the film lies in his attitude and the development of his character. It would have been great to dig into his story more.
As I mentioned earlier, Bibi Beatty could be a prelude to a career that will work well for him. He knows how to construct scenes with his own cinematic language and pace to enhance the experience genre-wise. It’s not exactly scary, but I don’t think it’s meant to be. You don’t need to step into that territory, because Bibi is more of an unsettling version of a personal exploration of a troubled woman’s psyche. What bothered you? It has guilt, anger and love. With lots of love.
Tammy Blanchard the supporting role is by far the most important performance in the film. We don’t give him enough credit, and we should.
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