The Honeymoon Phase by Jonny Numb

[89 minutes. Unrated. Director: Phillip G. Carroll Jr.]

Something that gets lost in formulaic mainstream horror is the genuine connection to character. In the jump-scare landscape, which we currently inhabit, it’s less about an emotional journey than the desperate, cliched methods filmmakers use to jolt audiences out of their seats. The Honeymoon Phase offers a refreshing alternative to that formula.

The film takes a time-locked premise (a 30-day experiment), a minimalist execution (there’s some CGI, but most of the production design favors a deceptive simplicity), and focuses on two central characters to see the story through.

The concept: a scientist – known only as The Director (Francois Chou) – wonders why “The Honeymoon Phase” of the relationship can’t last indefinitely. The selected couples are given food, board, and a $50,000 payout if they complete the month-long observation period.

Key to the film’s success is the chemistry between Tom (Jim Schubin) and Eve (Chloe Carroll). They prove a very likable pair, and look like people we’ve known in our own lives, making them immediately relatable. So when the affection they display early on gradually deteriorates into paranoia and animosity as things progress, we’re fully absorbed by the mind-fuck.

Director Carroll (who also scripted) does a commendable job of keeping the viewer invested in the proceedings, and if some elements seem telegraphed (the film would’ve been more effective without the post-experiment framing device), there are just as many that have unforeseen impact. At its heart, it’s a methodical wind-up device that finds interesting ways to throw the viewer for a loop.

As a country, the United States has spent the last 4 years being gaslit by a man whose morals were dubious decades before he ever assumed the Presidency. And in our new normal of faces half-hidden by masks, it’s harder to read what’s going through the minds of our fellow citizens. Not saying our collective paranoia is justified, but it’s also hard to ignore. As The Honeymoon Phase reaches its climactic crescendo, it replicates the heart-in-throat, “who can you trust” tension that is, well… “peak 2020.”