A horror film Mongolia

 

I expected a Mongolian horror film to be more original and startling than Aberrance, a movie that director Baatar Batsukh dedicates to Darren Aronofsky, perhaps because he may have drawn inspiration from Aronofsky films such as Mother!. Heavily atmospheric, Aberrance thrives when it’s at its most ambiguous. The set-up: A burly husband (Erkhembayar Ganbat) takes his troubled wife (Selenge Chadraabal) to an isolated country home. Ganbat’s character says he wants to protect his spouse, who has shown signs of deep emotional  disturbance. We’re evidently meant to wonder whether Gambat's character might be an abuser who’s masking dark intentions under the guise of concern. A neighbor (Yalalt Namsrai) intrudes, and a couple of girlfriends visit, along with the doctor who insisted that Chandraabal's character would benefit from isolation. Batsukh applies heavy doses of visual eeriness (red forests, for example) and gets pretty far on mood and performances that remain appropriately elusive. But the film ultimately sacrifices its eerie qualities for clever plot twists that tie things up while also replacing unease with genre-inspired cleverness. References to Mongolian tradition can be found, but the real home for this movie seems to be a house built by other horror movies. Moreover, the movie's isolated setting tends to limit Batsukh's ability to take a deep dive into Mongolian life and culture.