Aubrey Fleming is a meek, cerebral student starting to figure out her path in life as a writer, penning stories that seem deeper and darker than her pitch-perfect surroundings. She’s got good friends, supportive family and a stable life in an idyllic town only recently saddened by the abduction and death of a classmate.
One night, Aubrey goes missing, though we glimpse distorted flashes leading us to assume the same madman has taken, and is torturing, her. Two weeks later she’s found by the side of a forest road, missing two limbs and with no memory of how she got there. Even stranger is Aubrey’s stern declaration that she isn’t Aubrey at all; she is Dakota Moss, a coarse, hard-living exotic dancer who’s been dragged through life and somehow ended up in this particular town. Strange visions and odd, explained wounds lead her to investigate and declare that Aubrey IS still out there and is running out of time. Where do you turn when everyone assumes your identity is a cleverly constructed hoax to deal with recent horrific events?
I Know Who Killed Me is a deliberately-paced thriller with horrific elements, that doesn’t have the pacing or feel of a generic studio picture. It’s an edgy, arthouse approach most studios try to water down, so it’s a welcome surprise to see it here, though this is often the kind of film that audiences avoid in the action/special-effects filled Summertime.
Director Chris Sivertson supplied a similarly uneasy, off-kilter tone for his debut film The Lost, which easily ranks as the most disturbing yet well-crafted film I’ve ever seen in my life(it will be released this fall after its lengthy festival tour). Siverston employs an aggressive yet relevant, assured punk-rock style; A constantly creeping camera, slow nerve-wracking zooms, and smart use of music suggest and feel homage to Scorsese and Dario Argento yet it’s a vibe all his own. He also has a knack for capturing nuance and human awkwardness with throwaway lines and details that never detract from the story, though I can see some viewers being tripped up by moments like this from being so used to seeing streamlined ‘movie characters’ in more traditional Hollywood narratives.
A deliberately stylized color palette helps to heighten visual links and clues to (or distractions from) the mystery, as well as depict the heightened drug-state spoken about (the villian dopes up his victims with amphetamines in order to ensure they experience and are hyper-aware of ALL of what they go through).
Performances are across-the-board good, particularly in its lead. Lohan easily taps into the authentic darkness and adult sexuality Dakota has presumably been witness to her entire life; unlike some younger pop actresses who would assume a role of this caliber to say “I can be dark, see?” she owns it. Julia Ormond and Neal McDonough each have inspired moments as Lohan’s exasperated parents.
Eventually all the film’s loose ends are tied up, though one plot point will probably be seen as a inspired or outlandish choice depending on your point of view, even relying on paranormal researcher/radio personality Art Bell to provide exposition and insight. (eh?) Though it gets a little too familiar/traditional in its resolution(dank Silence of the Lambs-esque basements, thunderstorms to heighten dramatic impact), one hopes for future collaborations between Lohan and Sivertson, who’s a director to keep track of. Not for all tastes to be sure, but certain to be admired by those looking for offbeat, edgy tales.
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