Directed by Richie Moore, Who's Watching Oliver (Thailand, USA - 2018) is an edgy horror film that immerses the viewer in a context dominated by sadness, humiliation and violence. Characterized by good direction and sharp cinematography (again by Richie Moore), Who's Watching Oliver sees its strength in the script and, above all, in the acting performance of Russell Geoffrey Banks. The actor (as well as the film's screenwriter along with Richie Moore), gives the audience a spectacular performance, so much so that he embodies an iconic and unforgettable murderer.
Who's Watching Oliver probes the terrain of mental illness and the problems it triggers such as those related to behavior and the emotional sphere, with consequent repercussions in social life. Moore's film plays on the anxiety disorders and impulses of the protagonist who, as a sufferer of borderline disorder, indulges in abominable actions followed later by shame and guilt.
Such behavior is actually an automatic response to the years of mistreatment, torture and abuse suffered by the parents Oliver calls "monsters."
Lack of self-esteem, insecurity and fear of abandonment lead Oliver to regard the mother figure (Margaret Roche) as his only point of reference. Reason why, like a soulless shell, he allows himself to be humiliated by the woman by indulging her most perverse desires. And here it is. Who's Watching Oliver flows into perversions (voyeurism, urophilia, sadism) seasoning it with intense and uncontrollable emotional outbursts, neurosis, despair and heartbreaking moments that highlight Oliver's fragile emotional state.
Very explicit in nudity and blood, Who's Watching Oliver is a shocking hellish journey into the mind of the protagonist. With his behavioral and mental manifestations (also accompanied by his speech disorder), Russell Geoffrey Banks perfectly embodies a victim turned perpetrator. The accomplished horror fades into the background and becomes almost a frame adorning his already shattered life.
Full of tensions and twists and turns, the film is in fact a true investigation into the psychology of this tormented character who is nevertheless able to love.
The very relevant ending also gives an unexpected glimpse of sick love.
In Who's Watching Oliver, the obsessive and morbid relationship between Oliver and his mother is reminiscent of that of Psycho (1960) and, in some ways, also that of Maniac (2012).
The cast includes Russell Geoffrey Banks, Sara Malakul Lane, Margaret Roche, Cecilia Belletti, Champagne Nuttanun and Kelly Woodcock. The film is produced by Raimund Huber and Aki Komine.
Plot: loner Oliver is a mentally unstable man who wanders the city streets aimlessly at night in search of victims. Trapped in a humiliating and frustrating life in which he can only respond with violence, Oliver finds in the sweet and naive Sophia (Sara Malakul Lane) a lifeline.
