Shot on 16mm film is Erin Vassilopoulos’ feature, Superior, transporting viewers back to the Eighties through incredibly stylish sets and costume designs. We are introduced to Marian (Alessandra Mesa) as she is sprinting down the street, being chased by someone in a vehicle who is hot on her trail. Now on the run, Marian returns home after six long years to her twin sister, Vivian (Ani Mesa), to hide out for a while. 

The awkwardness of rekindling with an estranged family member permeates the beginning of this film, showcasing the forced polite conversation that is, of course, littered with shared childhood nostalgia. The real questions built up over years of being apart hang heavily in the air between them. This, along with brief flashbacks of Marian’s past, really draw you in. Unfortunately, the pace here is just too slow. While it does add to the unease surrounding Marian, it is taken too far, to the point of creating frustration. 

Despite this, as Superior nears its climax, the melding that happens between Marian and Vivian is quite well done, and this is all thanks to the performances by Alessandra Mesa and Ani Mesa, who are each able to embody these two characters with such skill. At the start, the two sisters are made to appear like opposites through their hair colour and their fashion styles, a physical reminder of their long separation, but this line between them blurs as their bond begins to mend.

Superior is a film about escapism, focusing on two women who want nothing more than to be someone else, because being in someone else’s shoes means forgetting about your own problems, even if just for a moment. Unfortunately, it is just let down by a lack of pace throughout.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Alessandra Mesa, Ani Mesa, Pico Alexander, Jake Hoffman, Stanley Simons

DIRECTOR: Erin Vassilopoulos

WRITERS: Erin Vassilopoulos, Alessandra Mesa

SYNOPSIS: Marian returns to her hometown to hide out with her identical twin sister, Vivian, and ends up altering the trajectory of their lives.

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