A ★★★★★ review of The Passion of Darkly Noon (1995)

This is an underrated gem that showcases Brendan Fraser as one of the greatest drama actors long before his much-deserved Oscar recognition for The Whale. For me, his performance here was Oscar-worthy already. The entire cast is unbelievable, and the direction is flawless. The editing is mind-blowing, especially how audio and visuals play off each other in perfectly disjointed harmony, like overlapping conversations that somehow make complete sense. The cinematography is equally stunning, with colors (especially the golden hues) used with narrative precision. Philip Ridley crafts a spellbinding, hallucinogenic dreamscape that feels intentional rather than pretentious, much like his work