Film Review: Philophobia Is Natural For Adolescence
SYNOPSIS: Set in the rolling hills of the English countryside, Guy Davies’ Philophobia is a picture of small town adolescence. One week of high school remains for Kai, an aspiring writer, and his friends. How they chose to spend this time will awaken sexual desires, cost one of them their life, and leave them all changed forever.
What I love about Philophobia is that it shows something I wanted to make clear to all my exes; it is worse not to fall in love than to do so. Being non-committal is no way to live life and, in this film, that is literal. Written and directed by Guy Davies, Philophobia is scary, funny, violent, and raw on its take of the weight of commitments.
Joshua Glenister plays Kai; an intelligent,nd insecure young man.Yet, there is a special, even sweet thoughtfulness to Kai that could stem from his desire to be a writer. Davies makes shots surrounding Kai feel picturesque and poetic. He is a good kid with flaws and confusions over what he wants from life and, in turn, he reveals a grand irony about it; you will never find someone that fully sees the seriousness of commitment more that someone who avoids it. He is trepidatious about relationships because he knows they are work, compromise, growth, and any other virtuous journey that would terrify a kid trying to have fun or an adult trying to live their life. The minute you connect with someone you are bound to them, and gain a duty/ responsibility built by love to respect their wishes and hold them equal to yours…. yeah… I rather just chill with my friends by the country side, too.
Guy Davies talks about movie ‘Philophobia’ at Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis
Kai serves as our perspective on the fleeting nature of youth. With friends that make him cringe, laugh, and wonder like, silly Megsy (Jack Gouldbourne), serious Sammy (Charlie Frances), and crush Grace (Kim Spearman), he questions whether he is enough while salivating at the chance to be everything. The movie, itself, feels like a stunning slow-motion car wreck. Each bond Kai’s life is fractured by desires and delusions. The film thrives in its quiet portrayals of how intense being young is, especially when it comes to love.
For all that you want to be loved, being loving is perplexing and terrifying. For the most, each character is either an open wound or a numb limb, and Kai is the one trying to see how to be vulnerable when it seems counter-productive to being young. Hence, instances when they are just kids being mischievous or getting tossed into the emotional whirlwinds of “i love you/ i hate you” teen dynamics, Davies proves his strength as a writer and director. Moreover, he continues my own questioning of what is going on with youth these days?PHILOPHOBIA – Exclusive Movie Clip
If Euphoria furthered the casual darkness and “adulting” teens are facing, Philophobia follows with a quieter, but perfectly shot supporting argument. Honestly, I had so much fun as a teen and I can’t recall a weekend away ending in death, but, then again, the world is changing so rapidly. In some ways, Philophobia hints to how pertinent and potent adulthood feels to kids as if they learned too early the importance and unpredictability of tomorrow. See Philophobia on October 17 at the San Diego International Film Festival on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 2:30pm at the Theatre Box with more festivals to follow.
