Dark Places: Review of You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here

Director: Lynne Ramsey

By Alex Watson

Lynne Ramsey is one of the most talented filmmakers alive. Sadly, she seems to like to wait long spells in between movies. You Were Never Really Here comes nearly seven years after her acclaimed piece 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'. However, it has been worth the long gap and thanks to a powerhouse turn by Joaquin Phoenix, this is a dark and twisted ride that depicts a very troubled character.

Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) is a former FBI agent and Gulf War veteran who suffers from PTSD. Haunted by flashbacks of his violent upbringing and of the deaths he has witnessed, Joe now works as a hired gun. Recruited by Senator Votto (Alex Manette), he is asked to retrieve his kidnapped daughter Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov) from a brothel. Soon, it becomes clear that there is way more at stake and Joe finds himself neck deep in one hell of a conspiracy.

You Were Never Really Here is a movie that both shocks and delights in equal measure. Joe is a man who specializes in brutality when it comes to dealing his victims. Ramsey however, resists the urge to play him as the stone cold killer whose revealed to have a heart of gold. In his interactions with his sick mother (Judith Roberts), we see a gentle and loving soul. In reality, Joe is a man drowning and as we see him reliving all his past torments, you can see he is barely holding on. Throughout this picture, we hear a child's voice counting backwards from 35. This almost ghostly voice gives us a window into the abusive cycle that Joe life once was. 

The mission to retrieve Nina begins like any other but quickly something way more sinister rears its head. Impressively, rather than focusing on providing as much gore as possible, Ramsey tries a whole new tack. We are rarely shown much blood or violence, but when we do it is disturbingly memorable. In one scene, we see Joe only from CCTV camera's going from room to room deposing of bad guys. Ramsey displays a deft touch when it comes to her direction and she seems to play this film against type in some places. Each scene feels like it has been carefully considered and some are beautifully shot. Joe sinking in a lake surrounded by air bubbles is a particularly moving scene and DP Thomas Townend makes us feel like we're immersed with him.

While some viewers may find this a rather vague affair and some will gripe that in only 85 minutes, it is impossible to flesh this one out. But Ramsey has created a film that will stick with you long after the credits roll. Its third act, in particular, brings Joe and its audience to some pretty disturbing conclusions. Due to the extreme amount of tension and mental anguish, its unlikely anyone could take much more than Ramsey dishes out. You Were Never Really Here is a very dark ride, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for those who stick it out.

Few actors could have mustered up the hulking intensity for Joe quite like Joaquin Phoenix. A mostly wordless performance, Phoenix's body language reflects everything Joe needs to say to his audience. His restraint of this character is also particularly impressive- Phoenix gives hints as to the sheer trauma this man has suffered, but his performance never gives away more than it needs to. We often forget just what a great talent this man is and few actors alive are better at playing wounded souls than Phoenix.

You Were Never Really Here is a movie that showcases you what an incredible directing talent Lynne Ramsey really is. How long will it be before she drops her next project?