Parallel Review | A Tense & Disturbing Multiverse Thriller

A wife grieving over the loss of her only child confronts a dangerous doppelgänger while vacationing at a remote lake house. Parallel is a tense and disturbing sci-fi thriller that explores the different pathways of alternate realities. What begins as a family confronting an emotional crisis takes a frightening turn into an unexpected labyrinth of consequences. Truth and facts blur as events previously set in stone become malleable. The desperate chance to mend a broken heart is a devil’s bargain. Manipulating fate becomes a dangerous gambit that may lead to a possibly worse outcome.

Vanessa (Danielle Deadwyler) tries to keep her composure. She cannot restrain the crushing sadness that has overtaken her life in the past year. Alex (Aldis Hodge), her frustrated husband, is at his wits’ end. Any hope for a secluded retreat to lift her spirits has failed miserably. Martel (Edwin Hodge) tries to comfort his beloved brother and sister-in-law. Nothing works as Vanessa continues to blame herself for the horrific accident that killed her son.

The brothers try to encourage small talk at various meals, but Vanessa’s silence and reticence speak volumes. She clearly has no interest in polite conversation. Meanwhile, strange explosions echo through the dense surrounding forest. Martel remembers their father discussing bizarre occurrences and missing locals before he also vanished without a trace. Alex discounts the ramblings of a crazy old fool. Nothing that man said ever made sense. He abandoned them as children, pure and simple. They should’ve heeded his warnings.

Another Version Takes Aim

The story begins with a tragic unspoken loss and quickly progresses into palpable foreboding. There’s something very wrong with the eerie setting. Vanessa’s anguish blinds her from recognizing imminent danger. Parallel takes time to set the action in motion; it requires patience and close viewing. It really takes off when Vanessa decides to go on a deep hike into the woods alone, where she encounters (and is almost killed by) another version of herself.

Related: Aldis Hodge Explains the Alternate Realities of Parallel

Vanessa is being tracked for a specific purpose. Her encounter with the violent double opens a Pandora’s box. Vanessa knows she wasn’t hallucinating, but how can Alex and Martel believe her story? They already think she’s losing her mind. Alex and Martel’s stories about their father gains new importance. What did he discover in the forest that led to his disappearance? She must return to the frightening scene to search for clues. Her second foray is just as baffling. What happened to her attacker? Why are the notches and signs left behind to mark her trail gone?

Parallel Is an Inexplicably Different Multiverse Thriller

Parallel

3.5/5

Release Date

February 23, 2024

Director

Kourosh Ahari

Runtime

88 Minutes

Pros

• Danielle Deadwyler and the Hodges give wonderful performances.
• Parallel uses multiverse theories in a distinctly emotional, character-driven way.
• It’s a heady sci-fi film with a memorable, interesting protagonist.

Cons

• This can be a very confusing film if you don’t pay close attention.

Parallel, adapted from the Chinese film Parallel Forest by Lei Zheng, has no moments of levity. Vanessa is a despondent wreck who transforms into a tightly wound spring. Her inner turmoil must be controlled to assess a puzzling situation with a clear head. Vanessa understands that her reality has changed. She’s inexplicably in a different, but almost similar space than before. This means there has to be another Vanessa that also exists. But why would the doppelgänger try to kill her? The troubling answer makes Vanessa a nascent master of destiny.

Paralleltackles multiverse themes without silly theatrics or extravagant visual effects. Director Kourosh Ahari (The Night) addresses the personal, human toll of such a strange upheaval. He uses the creepy environment to laser focus on an existential dilemma. Vanessa makes for a memorable protagonist in her solitary distress. Alex and Martel’s efforts are compassionate, but she rebuffs them as reminders of the past who only reinforce her pain. Vanessa’s journey to escape the hurt of remembrance changes as she delves deeper into a twisted maze. It’s a complicated portrait of a suffering woman in all her complexity, and Deadwyler is phenomenal.

Related: Aldis Hodge Talks Marmalade with Joe Keery and DC’s Hawkman Plans

The film’s engaging performances anchor a complex script. Deadwyler and the Hodge brothers run an emotional gamut through their various incarnations. The characters look the same every time they meet, but their dialogue and the subtle adjustments in the performances keep the audience from getting too confused. Hoever, Parallel doesn’t spoon-feed an easy narrative. Rapt attention must be paid to the film, or you risk losing the thread. This is heady sci-fi with twists aplenty, defined by a great character and performance.

Parallel is a Rumble Riot, Fremont Films, Mammoth Pictures, BondIt Media Capital, and Hodge Brothers Productions. It is currently in limited theatrical release with a VOD premiere on Feb. 27th, 2024, from Vertical. You can watch the trailer and find a link to the film below:

Watch Parallel