The blazing world

We knew Carlson Young until now to have appeared in many American series such as Grimm, Scream and others, but the Sundance Festival allows us to see that this young actress has other palettes to her art as a writer and director. Her debut film The Blazing World, a horrific tale is certainly one of the good surprises of the Sundance festival.

Since Margaret (Carlson Young) was six years old, she has been haunted by the memory of watching her sister drown in an explosive fight between her parents. As a young woman, she slips even further into her twisted inner life, only to find herself on the verge of suicide. On an epic journey through the smokiest and scariest hallways of her imagination, she attempts to exorcise the demons that push her further and further to the brink.

This horrific and psychological tale proves to be as original in its treatment as it is in the willingness of actress, screenwriter and director Carlson Young to deliver a landmark film. Both the treatment of the many noises and the colors (red is a powerful color here) makes The Blazing World one of the most striking films of this edition of Sundance and above all allows us to discover a young director who seeks originality as much as she cares for the image of this film.

Based on her short film of the same name, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, Carlson Young has cleverly extended it and has a perfect cast, including Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney and Soko. The director delivers a horrific tale of human psychology that is as frightening as it is mesmerizing. Her film is in her own exciting, imaginative and original image.

The Blazing World
Directed by Carlson Young
Produced by Brinton Bryan, Elizabeth Avellán
Written by Carlson Young, Pierce Brown
Starring Udo Kier, Carlson Young, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, John Karna, Soko
Music by Isom Innis
Cinematography: Shane F. Kelly
Edited by James K. Crouch
Distributed by Greenbelt Films
Release date: February 1, 2021 (Sundance)
Running time: 101 minutes

Seen on February 3, 2021 (Sundance Festival)

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