“Ultrasound” Is A Wildly Original and Trippy Mystery That You MUST See to Believe [REVIEW]

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE ULTRASOUND, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

I saw Ultrasound all the way back in June of last year and it was my favorite movie from the Tribeca Film Festival.  I had been transfixed by its out-there, bonkers storytelling and its truly original vision.  But, I was also left extremely confused.  So, I was a little apprehensive to revisit it this last week, because I was worried that its twisty plotlines wouldn’t hold upon a second viewing.  That it wouldn’t all come together in the way that I hoped.  But, luckily… Ultrasound’s mystery box narrative did come together a second time around, and all the pieces fit perfectly.

This is one helluva movie to review because there is so much going on and it’s honestly hard to even pinpoint the genre it belongs in.  It has a retro science-fiction vibe, a paranoid psychological thriller feel, as well as a darkly melancholic human drama at its center.  Unlike so many films that try to dabble in multiple genres and just end up with a scattershot mess, I believe that Ultrasound triumphs in taking all of its inspirations and making a genre of its very own.  This is really unlike any movie I’ve ever seen before.  And how often can you say that nowadays?  

WHAT IS ULTRASOUND ALL ABOUT?

Ultrasound follows a man named Glen who, while driving back home from a wedding… Pops his tires and gets stranded in the middle of nowhere in a storm.  He finds the nearest house to ask for help. And gets invited to stay by the owner Art and his wife Cyndi.  What starts out as an innocent night of drinking and conversing, turns into Glen ending up in their bed.  He awakes the next morning, hungover and utterly confused by the night’s transgressions… And decides to sneak off without saying a word.  Glen thinks this story has come to an end, until Art shows up at his doorstep with some shocking news.

HOW CONFUSING IS THE FILM?

To say any more of the plot would be a disservice.  Because there is SO much more to this story and a lot of the fun of the film is to see where it’s twists and turns will lead you.  And the cojones Ultrasound has… To bravely lead its audience into this crazy, bizarre, confounding world only to rely on you to be analytical enough to put together the pieces in your own way.  You could talk to a room full of people who just saw this film and I think each and every one of them would have their own version of what they think actually happened in Ultrasound.  And I love that. 

It’s one thing for a movie to be confusing for the sake of it.  But, to be fascinating enough to make you want to keep coming back to unlock its secrets, is a whole nother achievement entirely.

HOW IS THE ENSEMBLE CAST?

I think the entire cast of Ultrasound is great, but I really want to shine a spotlight on two performers here.  One is Bob Stephenson as Art, who is one of those actors that you’ve seen so many times before, but have never been able to put a name to the face.  Well, you will now.  Stephenson is an absolute chameleon as Art and I won’t go any farther into detail there because I wouldn’t want to give anything away.

  And then there’s Breeda Wool, who was in my second favorite film of last year Mass in a bit part. But, she just explodes off of the screen here.  Her character of Shannon is the real surrogate to the audience, as she is also trying to figure out what the hell is going on along with us.  And what a charismatic companion to have along with us on our journey.  I cannot wait to see what projects Wool continues to sign up for… Because she has shown some real taste in her choices.  

COULD THIS HAVE WORKED BETTER AS A LIMITED SERIES?

My only real issue with Ultrasound is that it’s not long enough.  At an hour and 43 minutes, I really felt like I was only scratching the surface of what this movie has to offer by the time it ended.  I wanted to live in this world for far longer and to explore the many subplots and characters deeper.  Because of this, I do believe that Ultrasound would have worked even better as a limited series.  But, I suppose if the only problem you have with a film, is that you just wanted more… then you’re in a really good spit.

Having read Conor Stechshulte’s graphic novel series Generous Bosom (which I would also highly recommend), I think he has done an incredible job adapting his work to the screen. Add to that, director Rob Schroeder’s unparalleled visual flair… and you have a match made in creative heaven.   This is a refreshingly original, high-concept film that will not appeal to everyone, due to how strange and perplexing it is.  But, if you’re okay with movies not explaining everything beat-by-beat, but rather allowing you to be the deciding factor in what it all means… then Ultrasound will be right up your alley.

Ultrasound is now in Select Theaters and Streaming Wherever You Rent Your Movies.

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