French director Pascal Laugier is about as polarizing as it gets in the horror genre. His sophomore effort, Martyrs, remains one of the most controversial horror movies of all time. Though it didn’t have the same far-reaching impact, Ghostland – or Incident in a Ghostland -was no less divisive upon its release. Somewhere in between these movies, Laugier made the missing child thriller The Tall Man starring Jessica Biel. Despite the star power of its lead, The Tall Man bombed at the box office. Maybe audiences though the thriller was connected to the Slender Man creepypasta -or at least Angus Scrimm’s Tall Man of Phantasm fame.
Synopsis
The small mining town of Cold Rock has been dying for years. The mine has long since closed, jobs have dried up, the local school closed, and several children have gone missing without a trace. Townsfolk blame a local legend for the disappearances – ‘The Tall Man’. Though she’s skeptical about the stories, widowed nurse Julia Denning must confront the stories when a mysterious figure abducts her son in the middle of the night.
The Tall Man Can’t Settle on a Genre For Its Story
One has to wonder to what extent misleading promotional materials limited the box office appeal of The Tall Man. Everything about this one screams supernatural horror movie. Moreover, the comparisons to the Slender Man Internet meme are inescapable. Of course, any marketing team would find it challenging to promote a Pascal Laugier movie. Once again Laugier changes up genres and tones so frequently as to never allow audiences to ever fully adjust or get comfortable. That is, Laugier never strings you along for the first two acts – he barely even toys with supernatural tropes for 20 minutes before shifting gears. There’s barely a ‘Tall Man’ of which to speak here.
Once again Laugier changes up genres and tones so frequently as to never allow audiences to ever fully adjust or get comfortable.
Though Laugier’s command of imagery is compelling, his genre and tonal shifts are jarring. As mentioned above, The Tall Man barely commits to its advertised horror roots. Whispers of a shadowy figure give way to a chase that would fit in any action-thriller but feels over-the-top with what Laugier has previously established. Yet The Tall Man abruptly changes up genres again with what suddenly feels like an intriguing mystery. Ultimately, Laugier settles on a crime drama that works in fits before the writer/director ups the ante with a final twist that stretches credulity.
The Tall Man Too Silly To Genuinely Unpack Its Complex Themes
Like Martyrs and Incident in a Ghostland, Laugier has bigger ideas at play. Clearly, the controversial filmmaker wants to say something important. That is, Laugier’s thriller feels a bit like a sociological study gone awry. Somewhere in the story is an exploration of class and privilege. Though it’s obvious that The Tall Man intends to pose big questions to audiences, Laugier lacks the subtly to pull this one off. Regardless of intent, some viewers will likely consider this thriller take on social justice to be smug and overly paternalistic. And Laugier’s attempt to offer some ambiguity in the final scene just comes off as heavy-handed.
Though it’s obvious that The Tall Man intends to pose big questions to audiences, Laugier lacks the subtly to pull this one off.
If there’s a consistent highlight to The Tall Man it’s Jessica Biel’s (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) performance. No matter how outlandish the story becomes over its runtime, Biel offers a grounded and gritty take on small-town nurse, Julia Denning. Given the twists the story ultimately takes, Biel needs to hold a bit back, making the character something of an enigma in the early-going. In spite of the increasingly improbable plot, it’s Biel’s performance – that of a tortured character willing to suffer for her personal beliefs – that makes the third act remotely palpable.
The Tall Man is Flawed, But Better Than Its Initial Reception Suggests
You’ve got to hand it to Laugier – the filmmaker refuses to tell the story audiences expect. Neither as bad as it reputation suggests nor good enough to completely rise above audience indifference, The Tall Man is a frustrating thriller. Like Laugier’s past works, the narrative twists and turns unpredictably against impressive visuals. As expected, Biel impresses with a role that requires her to twist right along with the movie. Yet the story often take leaps into the ridiculous. And it’s this implausibility undermines Laugier’s desire to spark a bigger discussion.