Elaborate conspiracy theories about aliens are not a new concept, nor are conspiracy theories about other people and their way of life. It can be heartbreaking to watch a parent, lover, or friend delve into an area of things that may seem impossible to others, and use these theories to justify certain aspects of their lives. If it seems like it hurts others and oneself, it becomes a major cause for concern.
In the new sci-fi drama Zuurmandoes this exact line of reasoning become the basis for a father’s reasons for living a lonely life – and while it may be intended that way, it doesn’t help him in the long run, especially after his estranged daughter shows up on his doorstep, on look for a new connection with her reclusive father.
Thomas Haden Church is breathtaking
Zuurman is directed by Alex Lehmann. Lehmann co-wrote the script with Chris Dowling, who previously worked on it Blue miracle And Priceless as a writer, while also directing films Where hope grows. Thomas Haden Churchwho previously appeared in the movies Sideways, spiderman 3And Smart peopleco-stars alongside cheerfulnessDiana Agron. Together, the two form a father-daughter duo that has been estranged for quite some time.
Church’s character, Lloyd, lives in isolation in the woods and precedes the plot Zuurman begins when Agron’s character, Maggie, comes looking for him. What happens next is a teaching moment for Maggie, as she realizes that her father may not be as stable as she thought he would be, making things much more complicated than expected. Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris Van sharp objects And The good woman also appears in the film.
The film originally premiered in June 2022 at the Tribeca Film Festival. It was picked up by Brainstorm Media for distribution in 2023 and, nearly a year after Tribeca, will hit screens in North America at the end of March. Zuurman clocks in at 87 minutes, making it appropriately timed and paced given the story, and finds its redeeming moments specifically in the performances, especially in Church’s portrayal of Lloyd.
Zuurman is a testament to Church’s strengths as an actor, something the movie world hasn’t seen enough of due to the fact that he’s rarely cast in meaty roles and is expected to play certain characters.
Fathers, daughters and Acidman
In ZuurmanMaggie (Agron) is looking for her father Lloyd. At the beginning of the film, her efforts finally paid off, when she tracked him down and found him living isolated in the woods. Why exactly the two are estranged is a bit of a mystery, reserved for what’s to come when she arrives at his house.
She soon learns that her father goes up the hill every night with his dog to look for what he thinks are aliens. He became convinced of that UFOs with aliens in them are real, which is why he chose to live in the woods, and he believes the flashing red lights he sees in the distance each night are trying to communicate with him.
In these moments, Maggie realizes that her father’s mental health isn’t what it used to be. Despite coming to meet him to deliver an important message, she finds herself unable to carry on a proper conversation with him. Perhaps her job would have been a lot easier if she had been an alien, but in Zuurmanthe people around Lloyd, as well as the nearest neighbors and nearby townspeople, all believe that he is the alien entity haunting the woods.
That’s where the name ‘Acidman’ comes from; it is a nickname given to him by the people who live there. So not only is Lloyd alone in his house, but he is also the target of pranks and ostracism by those around him.
Bringing the fun into dysfunction
Conflict manifests through this; while there is emotional conflict between Maggie and her father, a group of neighborhood kids show up and trash his house, giving the film more fuel than attempts between the father and daughter to talk to each other. Things go somewhat well at first – the conversations don’t last long, but they do have them. But as the movie progresses, Lloyd eventually confronts his daughter and asks her the real reason she came to visit.
It becomes clear here that he has deliberately forced himself to run away from the people he has known, becoming the Acidman the kids love to mock and a believer in conspiracy theories. As his daughter comes to try and reconnect with him, Lloyd hovers between wanting to reciprocate the care and withdrawing to live the same way he does.
Depicting dysfunctional families in movies isn’t a new concept, but Aidan shows Lloyd and Maggie trying to get along in the only ways they know how. Audiences may not know the full extent of why Lloyd left his family behind, but with the bits of information scattered throughout the film, conclusions can be drawn as to what may be the truth. There are past details to give some movement from the father and daughter’s emotionally edited scenes, providing some insight into their shared past, but these two characters may be the ones to finally break through the generational trauma and start something new.
Solid acting reinforces a weak script
It’s impossible to deny that inside Zuurman, Church’s Lloyd becomes the anchor that keeps the film afloat. Church does a great job of making the script and character come to life, though his character becomes a bit of a mythological creature himself. He’s the lore of the town, the reason people start whispering when they hear the name Acidman.
Eventually, though, he begins to succumb to the same treatment that Maggie has as a character: there’s just not enough context to emotionally captivate audiences to root for and believe in these characters. As viewers, we’re not really sure why Maggie came looking for her dad or even why they got into a fight all those years ago. Since she’s also looking for the reason for that, it can be a little unsatisfying never to delve deeper into it. Sure, it might not be really necessary to know all the details, but Maggie and Lloyd become static characters as a result.
Church is enchanting as Lloyd, capturing his mannerisms to deliver a compelling portrayal of a man who not only believes in beings beyond this Earth, but slowly succumbs to the effects of loneliness and isolation. You could think of all the alien references as a metaphor for something else, that Lloyd might feel that due to his condition and living conditions, he is alone and that the only people who could hear him are off this planet. While he is also physically isolated from people, he is also emotionally and mentally isolated, which probably makes life worse for him.
Relevant but empty
On the other hand, all that is known about Maggie is that she recently broke up with a man named Ben. The tragedy of Zuurman has multiple layers. One is that Maggie and Lloyd were never really closed in the sense that they could get close as father and daughter. Although Lloyd shows vulnerability in several scenes in the film, it seems unlikely that the two will ever be able to really build a relationship with each other.
The other side of Zuurman’Maggie’s tragedy comes with the fact that Maggie cannot exist without the men in her life. Throughout the movie, her whole reason for existing in this story is because she wants to find her father. Beyond that, she offers no purpose or motivation for much else, leaving Agron with little to work with as an actor.
Zuurman offers themes that are highly relevant today, whether it’s parents getting old or what happens when mental health and people go unchecked. However, the film does not go beyond the superficial on-screen discussion of these themes. It is largely in the present moment, choosing not to go back to the past and instead focusing on the attempts to bond between the two, or conversations they have while using the dog as a medium to start that conversation.
ZuurmanThe pace of his life takes its time to get there, but it’s all about the journey to get to that point. However, those looking for some action or conflict may be disappointed by the drama – although the acting is to be admired.
Zuurman will be released on March 31, 2023.