‘Why do we dream?’ and the concept of dreaming is a topic still yet to be fully solved. Some experts suggest we’re consolidating and analysing memories to enrich our lives; others suggest an abstract approach stemming from our imagination and subconscious desires. With no concrete solution, there’s room for philosophers and artists alike to explore their own interpretations. Since film’s inception, writers and storytellers have used dreams to whisk an audience away to fantasy worlds or horrify them into never sleeping again. This has been some of the inspiration for director Mike Waugh.
After a stint of working at the BBC in his early twenties, Mike Waugh’s journey through TV production, writing and publishing has brought him back to his initial dreams. His early scripts ended up in the all too familiar never-ending development cycle but, as he discussed on the Wild Sound Podcast, this was the push he needed. This led him to make his directorial debut with his first short film Magnetic. Rachel (Heléna Antonio), suffering from night terrors involving her ex-boyfriend (Kent Goldfinch), starts seeing a therapist (Syed Masood). Yet, it’s Rachel’s past traumas that could hold the key to her future.
Waugh’s intention of blurring the lines of reality and dreams is made clear from the offset, utilising D.O.P Nic Booth to capture disorientating shots and editor Steven Waltham to splice them together. This is especially effective with scenes portraying domestic violence, proving that you can produce a visceral impact without gratuity or glorifying it. Therefore, our protagonist Rachel is shown from a position of strength throughout despite her suffering – Antonio conveys an excellent range of emotions. Opposing Antonio, Masood balances caring and concern with a little suspiciousness well, whilst Goldfinch makes the most of his brief time being sadistic.
From a story perspective, the plot is solidly constructed and keeps you guessing which direction it will head. My only source of minor criticism comes with catering for the big climax, using a litany of clues from Rachel’s nightmares to progress the story. The method itself perfectly matches Waugh’s vision of positivity coming from pain, it’s just that some of the symbolism is a lot less subtle than others, which he himself admits finding difficult to gauge on the aforementioned podcast. However, this does not stop Magnetic being an entertaining psychological thriller, making me consider further what my dreams are trying to tell me. You can watch the trailer for Magnetic here.