Some of life’s greatest inspirations have been discovered in dreams. And for horror fans, nightmares have provided the innermost terrors for display on the silver screen. Francis Ford Coppola self-finances a passion project steeped in gothic horror and pervaded with his skill for reflective storytelling. While Coppola isn’t a stranger to the genre, having crafted the visually stunning Dracula in 1992, Twixt is more fragmented than cohesive, but delivers a curious blend of some interesting ideas.
Hal Baltimore (Val Kilmer), a horror author in the decline of his career, finds himself in an anomalous small town on a book tour that happens to be in the local hardware store. The only admirer of his work is Sheriff La Grange (Bruce Dern), an oddball with a story and a mysterious body in the morgue. Hal is initially annoyed by the insistent Sheriff, but decides to indulge and investigate the happenings in the town. This leads Hal, through his dreams, into the company of a young girl named V. (Elle Fanning) and the most famous of all gothic literary authors in search of the answer to the town’s tragic past.
While the film may not always resemble the characteristics associated with the genre, since Coppola infuses the script with quit a few humorous moments, he composes the imagery to keep focus on the more subtle aspects of horror. Specifically, this happens in the dream sequences were Hal explores the realm of the mystery the atmosphere feels melancholy. The narrative is motivated as much by Coppola’s invention, an idea manufactured by a dream he had in Istanbul, as it is by authors like Poe and Hawthorne.
There are two worlds that the story journeys, one of the peculiar town and the other a dream environment in Hal’s subconscious. This isn’t always a successful balance, as the story is introduced nicely, but turns wayward as the mystery unravels. There are numerous tones touched upon in the narrative, a medley of ideas that untangle with varying degrees of success throughout the course of the film. In one instance, the inclusion of a literary icon during a dream moves the story in an interesting and unexpected direction, but it’s countered by a return to a meandering reality. It’s in the dream environment where the film feels most accomplished and personal, reflecting Coppola’s own life experience.
Val Kilmer finds a substantial role with Hal Baltimore, one that requires a few different layers for the actor. Though he feels somewhat miscast, it’s easily one of his better roles in recent years. Kilmer is good in the moments were he embraces the creative struggle of a writer battling compliancy. Elle Fanning is interesting to watch, starting with her awkward introduction she develops into the fixation of Hal’s motivation. Bruce Dern, basically playing the wild-eyed character he’s played before, is a welcome sight for genre fans and though he delivers an eccentric performance, his character feels out of place. Tom Waits narrates the introduction; his unique voice offering an excellent dread-filled backstory for the town.
Twixt isn’t always coherent, but it probably wasn’t meant to be. Instead, it displays more like an experiment for Coppola to flex his creative muscle. As seen in his last few features, Coppola is making the films he wants to make, without interruption, and he seems confident in doing this. And, while Twixtis bound to split genre fans, and Coppola admirers, there something to appreciate in a personal story coming to life on screen.
Film Score: 3/5
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