Sister Midnight (15)

(Subtitled)

Karan Kandhari’s excellent debut feature is a wild and surreal ride of rebellion and desire, anchored by a superb performance from Bollywood star Radhika Apte.

Sister Midnight follows Uma, a newly married woman living in a cramped Mumbai apartment with her awkward husband. The odd couple struggles to adjust to married life, until one night, a mosquito bite triggers a series of surreal, unsettling events that ignite Uma’s feral cravings and give way to a full-blown existential awakening. And more.

Visually amplified by gorgeous 35mm cinematography, the film presents like a flick book of postcards, with Apte channeling her best Buster Keaton as she occupies the dead centre of nearly every frame, reacting to the absurdities around her with a mix of incredulity and resignation. This eccentricity is matched by a fantastic soundtrack, curated by Interpol’s Paul Banks. Eclectic needle drops from Howlin’ Wolf to Iggy Pop perfectly underscore the jerky, dissonant clash of moods.

An audacious, genre-bending film that both entertains and provokes, it’s a fascinating portrait of a woman’s transformation. An exhilarating ride for those brave enough to embrace its unpredictability and a bold, energetic exploration of marriage, identity and defiance.