There are things
about Queen of Earth that I
appreciated, such as the narrative resemblance to psychological thrillers such
as Ingmar Bergman’s Persona or Roman
Polanski’s Repulsion and (to a lesser
degree) Rosemary’s Baby. The trailer
even has a stylistic resemblance to films in this sub-genre from the 1970s, despite
the style being much more subdued in the actual film. Then there are aspects of
the relationships in Queen of Earth
that I was unable to appreciate, if only for the simple fact that I belong to
the wrong gender.
The film centers
on the relationship between two women in their late twenties named Catherine
(Elisabeth Moss) and Virginia (Katherine Waterston) who have been friends since
childhood, though there is often a passive battle ensuing within every
conversation they have. Switching back and forth between two different summers
spent at the vacation home owned by Virginia
In the
flashbacks it is Virginia who is disappointed that Catherine has brought her
boyfriend on the vacation, voicing this as openly and often as possible. So
when Catherine returns the next summer after having broken up with her
boyfriend, she is annoyed to discover that Virginia Virginia
Most will also
find Queen of Earth extraordinarily
dull, because very little happens beyond self-involved spiraling into temporary
madness. The narrative is simplistic and anything interesting that starts to
happen is left ambiguous and uninvestigated. This type of film is rarely made
anymore, which is why I appreciated it. But if I were to be honest, I also
didn’t really enjoy it that much. The DVD special features include a commentary
track with writer/director/producer Alex Ross Perry and producer/star Elisabeth
Moss. Also included are a behind-the-scenes featurette and the film’s stylistic
trailer.
Entertainment Value:
4/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
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