Short Film Review: "Ascendant" Is A Dark, Atmospheric Mood Piece
Ascendant marks the directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Josh Zammit (who also served as producer on Toni Fitzgerald’s Cult Following). Ominous and elusive, the film’s ambiguous narrative finds sure footing in the lush atmospherics of its cinematography, creating a visually memorable mood piece that’s well worth your time.
In a bleak industrial future, a lone man (Harry Greenwood) wanders a recently abandoned greyhound track, chasing former glory, only to be confronted by what he finds.
Combine the gloomy feeling of Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse with the bizarre and terrifying mood of David Lynch’s Eraserhead, and you’ll have something close to the constructed world and tone of Ascendant. The film relies heavily on its lush atmospherics to draw you in, and it’s largely successful in this regard. Visually, it’s astounding, and it’s able to tell a larger story (which is admittedly a bit too loose) without the aide of dialogue, which is impressive. Director Josh Zammit’s compositions and cinematographer Carl Robertson’s cinematography also call back to the early works of slow cinema master Andrei Tarkovsky, often texturing the frame by shooting with things in the foreground, like broken glass, chainlink fence, or debris to heighten the feeling and subtly build its world.
Set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future, Ascendant takes viewers on an atmospheric tour of a defunct greyhound race track, which harbors a dark, grotesque past. In many ways, the film plays into the UK’s controversy surrounding greyhound racing, which many wish to put to an end, as there were 4950 injuries and 710 deaths (14 per week) in just 2019 alone (according to the Greyhound Board of Great Britain). Its title, which means “rising in power or influence,” oozes with irony, as it seems contrary to the film’s dark narrative and the dystopian world it inhabits, almost as if it were an examination of the ruins of power after it’s collapsed.
We follow young Dr. R. Schumann (played by Harry Greenwood) as he walks through this decaying arena that once served as a haven for sophisticates to drink and gamble. In the ruins, the young doctor uncovers some dark surprises, which boil over in its surrealist conclusion. Some of what Schumann finds is hard to glean with the context we’ve been provided. For instance, he’s dressed up nearly identically to a older man he sees in a picture, and it’s difficult to discern that they’re different people, since we never see Schumann’s name tag clearly. This ambiguous connection would have added an interesting layer to the film’s potential reading; however, it’s quickly squashed by perusing the film’s closing credits.
There’s also a bit of a lull to the story and its progression. It hits some drag near the midpoint when Schumann unsuccessfully attempts to make a dog he has stumbled upon race around the baron track. It’s unclear why he does this; is he trying to desperately cling to the bygone rituals of a now lost society, or is it something else? Is he trapped in some sort of purgatory, destined to run like the greyhounds, in an infinite loop, until death (or something like it) descends? It’s hard to tell. Part of this is by design, as the lack of dialogue and mysterious ambiguities are intended to make certain viewers lean in — and they will. However, much of it is elusive and seemingly beyond reach.
A true testament to cinema’s visual power, Ascendant sizzles with mood, but may leave you scratching your head — especially with its final shot. Its oddity and lush atmospherics may capture you fully, but it’s a bit too murky narratively for anyone to parse its true meaning. However, it’s the lack of answers given that may lead you back (like us) to watch it a second or third time. At it’s core, it’s about the power-hungry nature of humankind, and how it will surely lead us to ruin. Even forced with our own destruction, we still can’t seem to muster up the strength to kill the monsters we’ve created.
Recommendation: If moody, atmospheric stories steeped in mysterious ambiguity is your bag, definitely give Ascendant a watch. You can check out the film right now right here.
Rating: 4 greyhounds outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!