Soft & Quiet was reviewed out of the SXSW Film Festival.
Beth de Araújo's Soft & Quiet is a fearful and compelling feature debut that takes an in-your-face approach to reveal America's greatest domestic threat: racism. It's a worst-case scenario that weaponizes traumatic triggers from hate speak to sexual abuse, as "like-minded women" take white nationalism to its frightening extreme. Soft & Quiet is a complicated watch fueled by nuclear chaos energy that's infuriatingly tense and revolting. Where something like Blumhouse's The Hunt uses humor to help its messages go down smoother, Araújo rubs her audience's noses in the disgusting reality of white supremacy.
The film unfolds in "real-time," following elementary school teacher Emily (Stefanie Estes) as she attends her first meeting for an after-school group of local women with a common agenda. Cinematographer Greta Zozula follows closely behind Emily throughout every step of escalation that begins with a "harmless" place for people to speak their minds. The "Daughters for Aryan Unity" — including ex-convict Leslie (Olivia Luccardi), business owner Kim (Dana Millican), and new face Marjorie (Eleanore Pienta) — share baked goods and wine, occupying a church's rec room to talk about the dangers of multiculturalism. It's abhorrent, and satire is rich because Araújo wants to make sure you understand that Soft & Quiet is a monster movie — monsters of "Karen" origins, purity-white wardrobes, and oppressive ideals.
Araújo's screenplay divides her storytelling into distinct halves to emphasize two tones. First, we sit and listen to Marjorie complain about her coworker — a woman of color — stealing a promotion or Kim's rampant antisemitism like a PSA from Hell. It's intentionally irrational and enraging — the women flash noteworthy white supremacy hand signals as a wink of solidarity or start their complaints against affirmative action with disclaimers like, "I don't hate anyone," or, "This won't be posted online, right?" Soft & Quiet takes special care to show you how easy it is for these horrific identities to empower one another — how hate groups start — and what consequences can occur as a result. That's why Araújo's second half becomes an outright home-invasion thriller, where "harmless" words become heinous actions.
Frame by frame, with each passing second, Soft & Quiet goes down harder than battery acid. It's bitter, choosing methods that will be too aggressive for some, and is steadfast in its channeled anger. Undoubtedly, there will be viewers who flip off Soft & Quiet after its first "wtf" reveal — and that's reasonable. Araújo operates with big swings and doesn't care about ostracizing audiences, but those who might be reminded of personal traumas may elect not to relive them. Soft & Quiet is always a commentary on the characters as they cement their toxic personalities. It's a divisive choice, but Araújo's vision reflects no compromise.
The cast of suburban mothers and middle-class citizens is so good about juxtaposing constitutional rants and deplorable protests against inclusivity with Suzy Homemaker emotes. It feels weird to say I "like" how Stefanie Estes manipulates people by negging them, using compliments like dangled carrots, but it's true; Estes is a scene-stealing villain as Emily. How Estes grabs the largest mayonnaise container at the grocery store is such a chef's kiss detail. Every actress’ portrayal is steeped in criticism of the red, wrong, and blue caricatures that their characters end up being.
Eleanore Pienta is another standout, as she presents as though Marjorie's afraid society will find out she says terrible things about minorities, but then she gets drunker, is encouraged by her newfound pack, and becomes indecipherable when compared against an actual KKK member. Characters continually convince one another they're doing nothing wrong to points of no return so well — Olivia Luccardi becomes the wild card with a stone-cold psychotic presence. Performances, momentum through cinematography, and Araújo's direction blur into a whirlwind of discomfort, obscenity, and morally bankrupt warnings about domestic hatred waiting for the right moment to strike in ways that are too accomplished to ignore.
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My biggest gripe is how the ending leaves us, which won't be discussed in detail here but will certainly challenge viewers. There's wonderful full-circle acknowledgment of "soft" and "quiet" as the camera finally leaves Emily's reign of terror, and yet it feels like there's impact left on the table. It works and consciously makes sense given the entire experience — although it's a disclaimer I include with purpose. There's so much about Soft & Quiet that captivates as a visual representation of repugnant evils — never condoning them — and the way it goes out certainly fits with Araújo's commentary, but doesn't land with the same vigor that most of the film carries.
"soft" - Google News
March 16, 2022 at 09:03PM
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Soft & Quiet Review - IGN
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