Sammy Mena

Dwelling surreally on death and disfigurement, this mesmerizing ensemble piece is tumid with ambiguities, like the eeriest of dreams. Gauzily atmospheric, Aaron Schimberg’s strange vignettes twitch with marionette-like characters, whose singsong eccentricities jerk this coarse-grained world to life.

A darkly comedic and hugely entertaining film-within-a-film that makes you think about cinematic representation without offering simple resolutions. Mabel, a well-intentioned Hollywood star takes the role of a blind woman in a horror movie about abnormalities. As shooting progresses, Mabel gradually falls for friendly British co-star Rosenthal, played by Adam Pearson, who has neurofibromatosis.