Apart from a few not very useful plot points, there are not many elements in Bibi that allow us to guess what is happening. Its first act is very teasing, because it gives an idea that the Film can follow the same narrative: “the woman goes crazy, starts seeing things and no one believes her”. After checking a few items from this checklist, Bibi still remained in the same course of a multi-layered nightmare that did not want to stop. It’s a very different movie from what I thought, at least in that regard.
Chris Beatty writes and directs a solid psychological thriller that will surely put him in the spotlight for other projects. With Bibi, he proves that he has the sensitivity to tackle layered films that are far from simple and offer a structure beyond their genre rules. Alongside the actress Elizabeth Paige, he embarks on a path where storytelling is far from easy.
In Bibi, a grieving mother faces a tragedy. Vivian is haunted by certain events from her past that push the boundaries of dreams and transform her days into Foggy Landscapes. It doesn’t help that she is also a victim of drug addiction and that a stalking character shows up in front of her huge house. However, the people around her do not seem to think that she is honest about her condition. In other words, you begin to suspect that it’s all in your head.
Before I start ruining the movie, I’ll say that Beatty cleverly reveals stuff early on. Again, he does not enter into the traditional plot in which a woman admits that something is wrong with her. There is always someone next to Vivian. A character whose kinship I won’t tell you, but it is in his attitude and the development of his character that the key to the resolution of the film lies. To dive more into his story would have been great.
As I mentioned earlier, Bibi Beatty could be the introduction of a career successor who will work well for him. He knows how to assemble scenes using his own movietic language and using Tempo to enhance the genre-related experience. This one isn’t quite scary, but I don’t think he meant it. He doesn’t need to enter this territory because Bibi is more of a disturbing version of a personal exploration of a disturbed woman’s psyche. Bothered by what? There is guilt, anger and love. Lots and lots of love.
Tags: bibi, psychological, thriller