Final Girls Berlin 2021 Review: Frida Kempff’s KNOCKING
So, not to overshare too much, but I recently moved into an apartment and I have not lived this close to neighbors in many years. I was nervous before moving because I was worried about getting an upstairs apartment and making too much noise for my downstairs neighbors. I’ve seen Friends (so many times) and I didn’t want to be as noisy as Mr. Heckles thought Monica and Rachel were. I exercise, I love my Xbox Kinect, I have an Oculus, I love to play music and dance. All require movement. And would lead to noise. Luckily (or not), I got a downstairs apartment. And now I have to resist the urge to hit the ceiling with a broom when my upstairs neighbors are too loud. What’s the point of this?
The Final Girls Berlin Film Fest was last weekend and one of the films I reviewed, Knocking, focuses on neighbors and noises.
Knocking is directed by Frida Kempff. Here is the synopsis:
A woman (Molly) who has just experienced a traumatic incident is unnerved by a haunting knocking sound from upstairs in her new apartment building. As the noises become more desperate and increasingly sound like cries for help, she confronts her neighbours but it seems no one else can hear them. In an unsettling quest for truth, Molly soon realises that no one believes her and begins to question if she even believes herself – a realisation that is perhaps even more chilling.
I enjoyed watching Molly’s struggle: are the noises real? Is it in her mind? What would you do when everyone around you is insisting that what you are hearing is not happening? The movie is so well paced that I felt like I was losing it along with Molly, questioning if I really understood what was happening.
If you don’t mind subtitles, I recommend giving this a try. I will tell you one thing; right now I am not brave enough like Molly to go and knock on my neighbor’s door and ask them to keep it down. Though maybe I should…
Writer, bookworm, geek in too many fandoms to name, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago White Sox fan.