Mosquito State is a 2020 American-Polish psychological drama film about a Wall Street data analyst who begins to have a mental breakdown.
Directed by Filip Jan Rymsza from a screenplay co-written with Mario Zermeno, The Royal Road Entertainment-Włodzimierz Niderhaus co-production stars Beau Knapp (The Good Lord Bird, Seven Seconds), Charlotte Vega (Wrong Turn, American Assassin), Jack Kesy (The Outpost, Deadpool 2) and Olivier Martinez (Unfaithful, Before Night Falls).
Plot:
August 2007. Isolated in his austere penthouse overlooking Central Park, obsessive Wall Street data analyst Richard Boca (Beau Knapp) sees ominous patterns: His computer models are behaving erratically, as are the swarms of mosquitos breeding in his apartment, an infestation that attends his psychological meltdown…
Reviews:
“Mosquito State offers a fascinating look at various forms of control and the mental illness such command inspires, and while it doesn’t offer frights, there’s a level of unease to the work that keeps it involving, even when Rymsza gets a little carried away trying to make an art-house version of a disaster movie.” Blu-ray.com
“You really shouldn’t know too much about Mosquito State because it has to be experienced. Also, the plot is rather strange to get into without you watching the whole mosquito element unfold. I did find that it taking place in 2007 was amazing for several reasons. Both the backdrop of the looming (though we didn’t know it then) financial crisis and the newness of smartphones.” Heaven of Horror
“Mosquito State is interesting enough to give a shot, especially if you’re interested in seeing how these many different pieces come together. Still, the film never hits any of the real horror metrics its synopsis promises […] The acting, cinematography, sound, and direction are above par, making Mosquito State a more elevated drama with horror musings that ultimately fade out without leaving so much as an itch to scratch beneath the surface of your skin.” Horror Obsessive
“I appreciate the efforts of Filip Jan Rymsza to stray outside genre norms, striving to pool metaphorical subtext into algorithmic data loss. The utterly bizarre title design, showing the stages of a mosquito birth, then following a CGI-mosquito straight into Richard’s NYC building, teases cleverness and dark comedy. That Mosquito State is unable to live up to this impressive opening is majorly disappointing.” Josh at the Movies
“Richard’s as unpredictable and difficult to enjoy as the film itself, but that makes him —and Mosquito State — no less distressingly intriguing. Rymsza’s anticlimactic finale will leave many unsatisfied with his film. But for a wild combination of revulsion and beauty, Mosquito State is worth a look.” MaddWolf
“Mosquito State is a pretty film. It’s drenched in colors and highly visual in every way. There is a gradual build-up of the incessant hum of the creatures everyone loves to hate […] I waited and waited for Richard Boca to begin to resemble the state of a mosquito. Of course, that didn’t happen. Perhaps this is why the film, represented as a horror film was such a disappointment.” Mother of Movies
“Slow-moving and deliberate, Mosquito State is a film with glorious visuals. The set design is impeccable and the mosquito visual effects have a hypnotic effect on the viewer. It’s glorious to look at, creating a sense of order which ties into the personality of Knapp’s protagonist. It might be too cool for some viewers, but Mosquito State’s atmosphere works in pulling the audience into its off-beat narrative.” Movies in Focus
“Mosquito State is a film that relies on playing the ‘only sane man’ trope against a man quite literally crumbling under the strain of it all […] Visually impressive with a firm handle on the story it wants to tell with those flourishes, Mosquito State may not be a film that connects with everyone, but its frequently decadent oddness will hit the right notes for some.” Scared Sheepless
“As Boca, Knapp delivers the kind of off-kilter, idiosyncratic performance that’s both a perfect fit for the character as Rymsza and his co-writer, Mario Zermeno, envision him and profoundly alienating for anyone on the other side of the digital screen. Ultimately, however, it’s the kind of performance that audiences should embrace for its fearlessness, for Knapp’s willingness to risk turning himself into an object of ridicule, contempt, and scorn…” Screen Anarchy
“Not without its moments of impressive spectacle and artistic ambition, Mosquito State largely suffers from irrelevance. The 2007 setting removes all of the peril (nods towards Trump notwithstanding) and the central character’s brilliant-but-flawed trope never connects in any meaningful way, resulting in at best something you can put up with and at worse something you want to swat away and spray with a lethal poison.” UK Film Review
Release date:
Streaming platform Shudder has acquired Mosquito State for release in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand on August 26th 2021 as part of their ‘Summer of Chills’ season.
Previously, the film was an official selection at the Venice Film Festival in 2020.
The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney described the film as “Cronenberg meets Kafka.” A “commandingly creepy psycho-horror… that multiplies into a nightmarish infestation before vengefully claiming its sacrifice, in a poetic surrender that evokes Virginia Woolf.” Variety’s Guy Lodge wrote that “it swaggers with slick nasty formal showmanship designed to get under the viewer’s skin,” The Wrap’s Steve Pond added that “the movie promises that it’s going to take us for a ride, and Rymsza delivers on that promise,” and Indiewire’s David Ehrlich concluded that it “holds your attention like a bite that you can’t stop yourself from scratching even though you know it’s only going to make things worse.”
Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder added, “Mosquito State is a masterful allegory for the 2007 financial crisis – Wall Street meets The Fly – and serves as the perfect ending to Shudder’s ‘Summer of Chills.’ Filip Jan Rymsza is very much in command of the ominous, building psycho-horror throughout the film, and we cannot wait for our audience to experience it.”
Cast and characters:
Beau Knapp … Richard Boca
Charlotte Vega … Lena del Alcázar
Jack Kesy … Beau Harris
Olivier Martinez … Edward Werner
Audrey Wasilewski … Sally the Secretary
Daisy Bishop … Abigail Grant
Dominika Kachlik … Jennifer
Maximilian Kubiak … Pete
Seetharaman Krishna … Naresh
Hai Hung Dinh … Bing
Wojciech Bocianowski … Big Joe
Krystin Goodwin … News Anchor Cindy
Kelly Dean Cooper … News Anchor Dean (as Kelly Cooper)
Carolina Espiro … Resident Economist Rachel Godoy
Mark McKinnon … Marlon at the Sports Desk
Technical details:
100 minutes
Trailer:
Clips:
