The Black Gloves is a 2017 British horror film about a psychologist obsessed with the disappearance of his young patient — and the menacing owl-headed figure that plagued her nightmares
Directed and co-produced by Lawrie Brewster (The Devil’s Machine; The Unkindness of Ravens; Lord of Tears) from a screenplay written by Sarah Daly, the movie stars Jamie Scott Gordon (Bonejangles 2), Macarena Gómez (Witching and Bitching) and Alexandra Hulme. It was co-produced by Jennifer Tung.
Plot:
A psychologist is obsessed with the disappearance of his young patient, and the menacing owl-headed figure that plagued her nightmares. His investigations lead him to a reclusive ballerina who, just like his patient, is convinced that she is about to die at the hands of this disturbing entity.
In the bleak Scottish highlands, Finn counsels his new patient, under the watchful eye of her sinister ballet teacher. He soon finds himself entangled in a ballet of paranoia, dark agendas and a maze of deadly twists and turns, as the legend of the Owlman becomes a terrifying reality…
Release:
The Black Gloves will be available to rent and own on DVD and North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms through Freestyle Digital Media on May 15, 2020.
Reviews:
” …here, we explore a haunted house that is also a fractured psyche, and games of identity swap and human parasitism are played between explorations of typical who-did-what-to-whom mysteries. The monochrome look is daringly stark and Gómez […] goes for the throat in a full-throttle performance…” The Kim Newman Web Site
“The shrill hysteria of Gómez’s performance perfectly modulates the tone here, which is knowingly funny but still always unnerving. The film looks glorious – and though self-consciously old-fashioned in form, it is ultimately not at all so in its gender politics, as Elisa, controlled and victimised, must choose what she really desires, and what she is prepared to sacrifice for it.” Projected Figures
“The writing mirrors the 1940’s style, with superior quotable men keen on either rescuing or sneering at the female characters, and the women shrieking… albeit en route to holding their own […] Overall, the precise direction along with the sharp writing and cinematography make this film worth watching…” Ready Steady Cut!
“Unlike another recent British film, Here Comes Hell, The Black Gloves doesn’t use its black and white ironically. This isn’t a period piece bedecked in modern gore, it’s a tribute to those films in tone and temperament. Which is to say it’s a fairly restrained film, a slow burn that avoids onscreen violence and gore.” Voices from the Balcony
Cast and characters:
Jamie Scott Gordon … Finn Galloway
Macarena Gómez … Lorena Velasco
Alexandra Hulme … Elisa Grey (as Alexandra Nicole Hulme)
Iain Mitchell Leslie … Ian Leslie (as Iain Leslie)
Hana Mackenzie … Galina Osipova
Briony Monroe … Susan Barrow
Richard Pate … William DeLancy
Craig J. Seath … Doctor Dunwich
Nicholas Vince … Uncle Edward
Technical details:
80 minutes
Black and white
Trailer:
