H.

H. is an intriguing and atmospheric drama sci-fi movie that was released in 2014. Directed by Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia, this film features the impeccable acting prowess of Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, and Will Janowitz. It's a gripping tale that weaves its narrative around two women from Troy, New York, both of whom are named Helen.

Robin Bartlett plays the older Helen, a 60-year-old woman deeply invested in her replica baby, an infant doll that she dotes on as if it were a real child. It’s a habit that alienates her from her husband, Roy (Julian Gamble), but provides her with an intangible yet deep sense of fulfillment. The crux of older Helen’s tale revolves around her uncanny relationship with this replica baby, giving the audience a sneak peek into an alternate, hypnotic reality.

In a parallel narrative, the younger Helen, played by Rebecca Dayan, is an art-gallery-dwelling, contemporary woman in her late 30s. Her story aligns more with her struggles of becoming an artist and her journey full of insecurities and doubts in the tumultuous world of art. Will Janowitz plays Alex, her musician partner, and together they work on an art project, which explores bleeding noses as a form of artistic expression.

The film captures the journey of the two Helens, and their lives intersect when a meteor wrecks havoc in the city, plunging it into chaos. It sparks off a series of bizarre occurrences and abnormal events, leading everyone to question the nature of reality. After the meteor’s fall, all citizens of Troy start moving in a zombie-like trance towards a mystifying lake, which adds an uncanny and surreal stroke to the narrative. Prompted by these strange events, both the Helens see their worlds overturned and must find a way to navigate the strange happenings while trying to hang on to their sanity.

H. unfolds like a melancholic dreamscape, inviting speculation about alien invasions, apocalyptic events, and Greek mythology. Parallelism is another key leitmotif in H. not just in the obvious narrative duality of the two Helens, but also in aesthetic choices such as recurring shots of sculpture fragments and interspersed surreal sequences. The divide between reality and the imagined, the living and the inanimate, the mundane and the mystical becomes blurred, and the audience is compelled to delve beyond surface-level interpretation.

It's a dark and surreal sink into the depths of the human psyche and how it navigates the terrain of confusion, turmoil, and ultimately fear. The film toys with what is apparently normal, subtly shifting gears into uncanny eerie landscapes within moments. It is slow-paced, yet engrossing, holding the viewer in a tantalizing ambiguity that persists until the end.

The film's pervasive sense of dread and eerie calm is beautifully intensified by the cinematography. H. uses striking visuals with an impeccable sense of style and a color palette that makes every shot a beautifully constructed tableau. The atmosphere is wonderfully underlined by a hauntingly beautiful score that adds another layer of depth to this stunningly crafted film.

On the acting front, both Bartlett and Dayan deliver compelling performances. They beautifully portray the complexities of being a woman navigating their unique realities against the backdrop of shared chaos. They breathe life into their characters, leaving a significant impact and inviting the audience into their world.

Unorthodox in its style and presentation, H. is not just a visually striking movie, but a thought-provoking one as well. The film oscillates between realism and the surreal, compelling viewers to ponder nuances at every level. It's an enthralling and eerie watch that's bound to leave audiences intrigued long after the credits have rolled.

H. stands out as a film that's heavy with symbolism and packed with allegorical significance. It explores the human condition in an extraordinary context, making it a unique and interesting addition to the realm of indie cinema. With its haunting atmosphere, intricate storytelling, and brilliant performances, H. is a memorable cinematic experience that promises to stay with viewers long after they leave the theater.