Preceding her death a young woman relives her life in a mirror world, giving her the chance to fight her killer.
A low budget mystery thriller, “8 Remains” muddles along, hinting at allegory and symbolism during the brief hour and twenty-minute runtime. At the end of the day, the premise proves far more intriguing than the ultimate realization.
Maja-Celiné Probst stars as the unsuspecting Talli, tormented by Gregory B. Waldis as Damian. Over the years, psychopathic and insecure Damian murders other women and covets similar plans for the lovely Talli. However, when Talli crosses over into some sort of mirror world, she re-experiences key aspects of her life in a dreamlike state on the way to solving the conundrum.
Invisible walls block the characters temporarily from entering or leaving certain areas, which we eventually learn are erected by Damian as part of his twisted game. Masking as a cryptic tale, the details arrive without much surprise or interest – obfuscation for the sake of obfuscation – as the clues sprinkle forth. Each aspect of discovery appears worked out in advance by Damian. Yet, inexplicably, at the crucial moment, he loses control and falls victim to the women he previously killed. The outcome is both inevitable and predictable.
Acting that always feels like acting further mars this unremarkable, frequently tedious production. The characters mouth the trite dialog as if reading from a cue card.
Directed by Juliane Block and written by Laura Sommer, “8 Remains” seems to have more than a conventional thriller on its mind, but the narrative sputters, barely coherent. The film clearly wants to go somewhere, arriving at long last, but the destination hardly warrants the journey.
Now available on Digital and Video On Demand
