Review: Short on suspense, ‘Ultrasound’ still captures fuzziness of contemporary memory

Within the opening sequence of the psychodrama “Ultrasound,” a tragic sack named Glen (Vincent Kartheiser) has automotive hassle and seeks refuge within the house of a pleasant couple: the goofy schlub Arthur (Bob Stephenson) and his a lot youthful spouse, Cyndi (Chelsea Lopez). After some drinks and chit-chat, Arthur makes Glen a beneficiant supply, saying his visitor ought to sleep in the master suite … with Cyndi.

Many of the remainder of the film revolves round what actually occurred within the bed room that evening. Not lengthy after the opening, we see Glen and Cyndi in a mysterious analysis facility, some months later — with him now paralyzed in a wheelchair and her closely pregnant — as a staff of scientists probes their fuzzy reminiscences and reads them transcripts of previous conversations. It’s all very spooky.

The movie relies on cartoonist Conor Stechschulte’s graphic novel “Beneficiant Bosom” (a title finally much less apt than “Ultrasound,” although definitely extra memorable). Rob Schroeder directs Stechschulte’s personal screenplay and finally ends up with one thing just a little like one in every of Charlie Kaufman’s or David Lynch’s cinematic thoughts video games, however performed straighter.

The film follows three principal storylines, not completely in parallel. As Glen and Cyndi are being questioned by an more and more confused and cautious researcher named Shannon (Breeda Wool), the film flashes again to the aftermath of the pair’s first assembly, displaying how their lives hold intertwining. In the meantime, in a tangentially associated subplot, one other pregnant younger lady, Katie (Rainey Qualley), is being hidden from the press by her married politician lover, Alex (Christopher Gartin), with the assistance of Arthur — who, it seems, isn’t who he appeared to be.

Schroeder and Stechschulte don’t go away the viewers hanging with “Ultrasound.” By the closing credit, we do be taught why the characters appear so out of sync with their very own actuality. With out giving an excessive amount of away, the film’s title does matter, referring to a frequency that may be weaponized to control individuals’s minds. (Zak Engel’s synth-heavy rating works effectively with Bobb Barito’s disorienting sound design to duplicate the impact.)

The movie’s general tone is a bit dry, and the narrative lacks rigidity, other than its central thriller. However the performances are sturdy, and the factors the filmmakers are making concerning the slipperiness of reminiscence do resonate. “Ultrasound” is a film made for the age of “pretend information” and media bubbles, the place no truths are ever self-evident and what individuals understand concerning the world retains altering, relying on their filters.