Beginning with a brutal shock to the system, Remainder becomes a disquieting, paranoid thriller with a sheen of clammy body horror.

Just when you worry it’s writing itself into a corner, the unnamed lead’s (Sturridge) ambitions explode outwards, turning the film into a surreal, darkly humorous take on traumatic memory in the vein of Nolan’s Memento and Boyle’s Trance.

There are even stronger echoes of Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York in Sturridge’s grandiose efforts to perform the dreams that haunt him. The most impressive thing about these influences is that they never overwhelm Fast’s own voice as a writer and director.

Brilliantly written and directed, all that keeps Remainder from getting five stars is an ending that fails to provide satisfactory answers to the beautiful chaos that precedes it.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Tom Sturridge, Arsher Ali, Ed Speelers, Cush Jumbo,

DIRECTOR: Omer Fast

WRITER: Omer Fast

SYNOPSIS: A London man who loses his memory when he’s struck by a falling object develops a way to reconstruct his past.