Review: ‘Medusa Deluxe’ is Formally Extravagant Despite its Script
The recent whodunit ensemble dramedy has fantastic cinematography and good performances, but its screenplay feels slightly undercooked
When I started watching Medusa Deluxe, Thomas Hardiman’s 2022 mystery comedy/drama which follows the aftermath of a murder at a hair stylist competition, I was unaware that it was a ‘single-shot’ film. If I had known, my interest of the film would have been entirely different in both directions — I’d have been more intrigued because I love this approach… and much less intrigued because I dedicated a year of my life to studying films which utilise the same technique, and it was a tough year indeed.
Still, I had picked up the blu-ray and it was too late to go back now. My fate was sealed (and the disc was not).
For those who would like more of a definition of the ‘single-shot’ film, it is a tricky term to define exactly. It is much easier explained by giving a list of examples and hoping that you’ve seen at least one so that you can understand the approach. Single-shot films are films which consist of, you guessed it, one shot… except for when they don’t, because they often utilise hidden cuts which are masked by camera movement or brief moments of darkness…
