Proxy
2020 · 17m · USA
Directed by Sophia Banks
In a near-future city, Victoria is one of the most in-demand 'proxies' — trained humans employed to stand in for deceased or absent loved ones so that clients can process grief and guilt. As she moves through a series of increasingly disturbing client sessions, her own suppressed demons begin to surface.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Rent-a-friend extrapolated into a Black Mirror grief thriller — fine premise, but Black Mirror / Blade Runner / Coherence is a comparison cocktail that screams 'we have notes.' Probably competent and forgettable.
An intriguing extrapolation of Japan's rental-companion industry — but Banks's described execution falls in the well-worn Black Mirror register where the premise does most of the heavy lifting. Pleasant dystopia, less essential than its hook suggests.
Extrapolating Japan's real rental-person industry into a 17-minute corporate dystopia is a smart sci-fi move — the conceit has the bones of a Black Mirror anchor episode. Premise is rich; I'd want to see whether the client-session structure builds or just repeats.
Reviews
The kind of slick and propulsive entertainment that is actually somewhat rare on this site. An enormously satisfying watch despite the lingering feeling that the film is a proof-of-concept for something bigger.
Proxy delivers a chilling message about personal denial and avoidance.
Festivals
- Winter Film Awards 2021