As I watched Sugarcane I marveled at the ingenious plot. Yet I was frustrated that writers Pat Baker and Gabriel Howard didn’t mine for more provocative themes. Mind you, what’s here is very good. The film follows reclusive Arthur (Michael Mau) who operates a snuff site called Sugarcane from his basement while acting as caretaker for his ailing mother Marjorie (Bonny Breuer.) One of his past victims, Mari (Josie Juliette Wert,) has escaped and is out to locate his operation and seek revenge. Directors Baker and Darryl Postley Jr. keep things in a very ‘Silence of the Lambs’ vibe while dipping into ‘Hostel’ and ‘I Spit on your Grave’ territory for sure. They even deliver an iconic villain complete with a creepy bunny mask. Yet Sugarcane merely skims the surface of a far more terrifying story.
We first meet nebbish Arthur as he courts his next victim at a coffee shop. Phoebe (Lacey Katena,) serves up a black coffee to Arthur and goes about her business. Arty, as his ‘friends’ call him, has plans for her later that night in the form of a kidnapping and strapping her to a chair in his basement. Here’s the thing. When Arty gets a new victim for his site, viewers pay money to request acts of torture on the victim. After three days, a bidding war occurs to determine how the victim will be killed. With a new victim in hand the clock begins ticking. Mari reconnects with her brother tech-savvy brother Damien (Kellan Jackson) who knows his way around the dark web and the two hope to stop Arthur ‘s Sugarcane operation and to save Phoebe before it’s too late.
Arthur proves to be a formidable tech foe and the cat and mouse games begin. While juggling his violent enterprise in the basement and the looming threat of being caught, Arthur cares for his ailing mother Marjorie (Bonny Breuer.) She suffers from dementia and keeps thinking her son is her long-dead husband. The moments between Arthur and Marjorie are lo-fi heartbreaking. To me, as a viewer, this was the motive. This was the justification of such horrible acts of cruelty. Yet, the film stays at surface level for a revenge tale.
Mau‘s Arthur is a sheltered, skittish, soul and a compelling take on the typical killer. Think Norman Bates but without the oedipal complex and more into computers. He can barely hold a conversation with anyone, much less make eye contact. Breuer‘s mentally absent Marjorie is an interesting watch too. Their chemistry, however, is remarkable. Wert struggles in a few scenes but ultimately she is a worthy final girl to go up against Arthur.
Pat Baker directs with Darryl Postley Jr., and cowrites the film with Gabriel Howard to create a consistently entertaining thriller with Sugarcane. Their greatest achievement however, is the creation of the next great villain in Arthur. His creepy demeanor hides a seething, unpredictable monster that is slasher movie heaven. That’s not to mention the iconic paper mache bunny mask complete with oversize ears and a motionless white face. That right there is the menacing stuff of nightmares. I can’t wait to see what this team cooks up next.
