Today, Ari Aster is well known throughout the film industry as one of the seminal Horror directors of the modern day. With films like Midsommar and Hereditary becoming acclaimed staples within the genre, Aster has cemented himself as a titan in the horror genre. Aster’s first film, however, gave us a glimpse into the abilities he had as a powerful director capable of telling powerful stories. The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, released in 2011, was his first film: a short film that acted as his Thesis Film at the American Film Institute.
The Strange Thing About the Johnsons tells the story of the Johnson Family: father Sidney, son Isaiah and wife Joan. Isaiah begins an abusive, incestuous relationship with his father, and we see the impact this relationship has on the entire family across the course of the film. Now, as a concept, it seems truly horrifying to even imagine such a scenario. What makes the film interesting is in how Aster approaches the traditional familial power dynamics. Instead of the father being the abuser, which tends to be the standard for basically any crime tv show ever, we instead see the son take that role. It’s an interesting flip in dynamic that elevates the tension level in the film.
I really do give credit to lead actors Billy Mayo and Brandon Greenhouse, who play Sidney and Isaiah respectively. Their performances made the film much better than it could have been. Whether we were seeing the disdain on Sidney’s face as his own son abused him, or we see how Isaiah goes from loving son to psychopath in the blink of an eye. Its a testament to their abilities as actors.
I also really enjoyed the cinematography style of the film. There were a lot of shots that used lighting, camera and set design in unique ways that enhanced the film’s ability to create anxiety. Between scenes bathed in darkness with only the fireplace or the light in the hall to brighten the scene, or visual closeups on characters faces or interesting angles for scenes, the film was able to create that sense of uneasiness that it needed.
I believe it’s important to address the horrific subject matter of the film. It’s not easy to talk about. It’s even harder to see it play out on screen. But the way that Aster achieves his goal of making the viewer feel unsettled works tremendously. I do wish we saw how Isaiah developed into who he was, he pretty much starts the film with this strange obsession for his father that is never explained. However, putting the characters in taboo situations and elevating that power dynamic overpowers the film’s need for more backstory. It’s an interesting, albeit uncomfortable watch. The Strange Thing About the Johnsons is available to the public on YouTube.
3/5
This begins a new series called Short Quest, where I review short films in short form reviews as a running series between major film reviews. This film came as a request and began the inception of the series.
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