Written and directed by Minos Nikolakakis
Starring Prometheus Aleifer and Anastasia Rafaella Konidi
Running time: 1 hour and 29 minutesLanguage: Greek
Not rated (violence, sexual situations, nudity)

by Audrey Callerstrom

A peculiar young woman with a strange skin condition named Danae (Anastasia Rafaella Konidi) lives in isolation in the woods of the Greek village of Alyti. She speaks in literary nature quotes. For example, she does not trust cars, only horses; after all, automobiles were created by Man, and “you cannot make a horse.” She forbids anyone from putting out the fire in her cottage, refuses to leave and seems to have some sort of control over the forest. Panos (Prometheus Aleifer), a doctor who is new to Alyti, is drawn to Danae and intent on curing and saving her. Entwined might fashion itself as gothic horror, but it’s more like a Grimm’s Fairy Tale. Unfortunately, as a fairy tale, it lacks energy, style or surprise. It has good performances and impressive makeup effects but is just overall adequate.

Entwined struggles to figure out how to plausibly bring Panos to this small village. This is a small town full of unfriendly, elusive locals; Panos is the town’s first resident doctor. It’s certainly not a growth opportunity, nor does he have any legal or moral obligation to be there. When the film opens, Panos is at his father’s funeral (a plot point that is never brought up again). Someone mentions, unprompted, that Panos’ belief system is rooted entirely in science. “Science doesn’t have all the answers,” he is told. This phrase is repeated again, later by a village local, in case it wasn’t clear that this doctor is going to encounter something paranormal and beyond his understanding. And he does – he hears a song that draws him deep into the forest, where he meets Danae. Danae has an infection on her arms that gives them the  appearance of burnt logs. Danae also lives with her elderly father, although Panos later finds them engaged in sex. In a brawl, Panos injures Danae’s father and Panos takes him to town to be treated. Panos returns to the cottage to also treat Danae, but shortly thereafter finds himself unable to leave.

This is where Entwined could benefit from some more sophisticated special effects. The forest appears to morph in order to make it more difficult for him to leave, but all we see is Panos stumbling down hills. What if the hills actually shifted, or the trees morphed? After all, the bends in branches look like elbows, which is already creepy. Films like Antichrist, Sleepy Hollow and The Ruins know how to make creepy imagery out of trees and vines. Here they appear innocuous, even when one supposedly traps and cuts Panos. Writer/director Minos Nikolakakis frequently shows close ups of tree bark, soil and an upside-down view of the forest, but it looks more like video that might play in a doctor’s office than a scene from a horror film. Entwined’s greatest strength is its makeup effects, which show rapid aging in a remarkable and believable way. While others might focus on adding gray hair and jowls, the makeup here focuses heavily on the area around the eyes, turning the face of a handsome man into one that looks withered, dry and sleep deprived.

About an hour into the film, the nature of Danae’s condition is revealed. The rest of the movie kind of traipses along toward its conclusion after that. The energy of the film is so low even the characters seem to be unsurprised. The script never bothers to invest in Panos, spending a brief period with him before putting him in peril. We know that he is a doctor, and, he, um, likes science. I don’t need to have a personal, vested interest in imaginary people, but there needs to be something at stake, something that peaks my curiosity. If I don’t sympathize with a character or their struggle, there should at least be some style that captures my interest, or a script that drops tiny crumbs at my feet and encourages me to follow, the way Amulet did. The performances are good, the camerawork and the music (mostly strings, with some vivid vocals) are good. There’s even some haunting imagery toward the film’s conclusion. Ultimately, Entwined is uninspired and flat. 

Entwined will be available in virtual theaters August 28th and On Demand September 7th.