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Chameleon
Two women are terrorised by an unwanted stranger in this impeccably-styled bourgeois nightmare.
Drama 2016 82 mins Not rated
Director: Jorge Riquelme Serrano
Overview
The day after hosting a going away party, Chilean couple Paula and Paulina plan on a quiet day together, making the most of their final hours before Paulina has to leave for a long stay in Europe. When Gastón, a guest from the previous evening, shows up unexpectedly the two think nothing of it. But Gastón appears intent on staying and when a few drinks bring forth underlying tensions between the pair, his dark intentions begin to emerge.
With its glacial approach, there is something Haneke-esque about this impeccably-styled bourgeois nightmare, which is strewn with ambiguities and unanswered questions. Touching upon the potent themes of class, sexuality and racial identity, Jorge Riquelme Serrano’s insidious, often unbearably tense debut can be genuinely upsetting at times. And yet, though undeniably gruelling, it is by no means exploitative, displaying a satisfying sense of restraint even during its most brutal moments.
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