Slamdance 2022 Film Festival- The German film Be Right Back is tough to pin down. It follows a core group of people staying at an abandoned vacation resort in the woods. Their weird routines are upended when a stranger arrives. There are elements here of comedy, absurdity, and even folk horror. But this is very much the type of indie film that requires patience, a lot of patience.

Directed by Frauke Havemann and written by Havemann, Peter Stamer, and  Matthias Wittekindt, this is the kind of movie where not a whole lot happens. About half of the film spends its time showcasing the bizarre daily rituals of the group. None of the characters have names, but even so, they’re all memorable because of their eccentricities. Iris Boss‘ character obsesses over scrabble and spends most of her on-screen time playing it and drinking wine. Jack Rath‘s character, for whatever reason, doesn’t talk and mimes. Poul Storm‘s character mostly sits in front of a window, eyeing the trees, convinced there’s some great plot against the group. He thinks they move on their own. Effi Rabsilber‘s character shows up in the opening minutes, for reasons unknown. Inga Dietrich plays a character who constantly repeats stories about her relatives and their relationship to the woods.

The pacing picks up somewhat when the group wakes up one day and all of their food is missing. They have to figure out how they’re going to survive. To the dismay of most of the group, Rabsilber’s character suggests eating various bugs. When she discovers strange tracks and circles in the woods, Storm’s character wonders if the forest is playing tricks on them or even trying to harm them. No explanation is really given, and I suppose it’s up to the viewer to decide what’s up. Did the group eat strange mushrooms? Is the forest indeed trying to rid itself of the humans? Did someone from the group steal their food and have ill intentions? It’s all a guessing game.

There are moments when the forest truly feels alive, be it through close-ups of the bugs or the dense trees. The sound design is a major plus. Every gust of wind or creak of a tree feels is felt and heard. This makes the forest feel immersive and even all-consuming. And while not a whole lot happens in terms of the plot, these characters are so idiocentric that they do stand out, even without names.

That said, it’s hard to tell who the audience is for Be Right Back. It has absurdist elements, but they may not be enough to keep someone engaged. There are moments when the forest indeed feels alive and somewhat menacing, but that idea is never fully explored. The pacing here is slow, even for a film that doesn’t hit the 90-minute mark. There are some cool ideas here and flashes of potential, but they feel too undercooked.

Be Right Back screened as part of the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival.

5.5 Out of 10