Review: ‘Sator’
Incorporating a unique mix of home videos and traditionally shot footage, Sator is a haunting, mesmerizing and unsettling experience that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.
There are some things that just feel like they weren’t meant to be seen. The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, The Poughkeepsie Tapes and REC are all examples of films that utilized found footage filming techniques in order to straddle the thin line between real life and fiction, creating a unique and horrifying experience for viewers that managed to feel all too real. Sator, the directorial debut of filmmaker Jordan Graham, is no exception.
Partially based on true events experienced by Graham’s family, Sator centers on Adam (Gabe Nicholson), who lives a life of isolation in a desolate forest. He spends his days hunting for food and keeping watch for a supernatural entity called Sator. Adam and his brother Pete (Michael Daniel) have been told to be wary of Sator by their grandmother, Nani (June Peterson), who claims that this spirit has been guiding her through life as a whisper in her ear. Whether or not the spirit plays any part in the death of family members remains a mystery.
Written, directed, shot, edited, scored and produced by Graham, a process that took him almost six years to complete, Sator is a technical marvel, with the filmmaker seamlessly switching between actual home video footage and traditionally shot footage without skipping a beat, creating for a truly immersive experience that will undoubtedly shock and unsettle even the most seasoned of horror fans. The sound design in particular is masterful, with Graham making every falling leaf, every creaky floorboard, every tree branch take on a life of its own with heightened sounds that will shake you to your core.
The film also boasts a trio of phenomenal performances from newcomers Gabe Nicholson and Michael Daniel, as well as Graham’s actual grandmother June Peterson, who managed to film a few scenes for the film before her passing. Showing up in archival footage, as well as recreated home videos, Peterson imbues the film with a haunting, unflappable presence that casts a large shadow over the rest of the film. Nicholson delivers a quietly impactful performance as the lonely and depressed Adam, while Daniel gives the film some much needed intensity and frenetic energy with a powerhouse of a performance as the family’s protective shepherd.
The narrative aspects of Sator aren’t as polished as the film’s masterful visual elements, with Graham focusing on tension and atmosphere rather than context and answers, a move that will no doubt put off casual viewers. For large stretches of its runtime, the film follows Adam as he attempts to survive in the wilderness, a process that may come off as tedious and laborious by the film’s second act. Graham ends up redeeming himself, however, with an equal parts stunning and horrifying third act sequence that finally gives audiences a glimpse at the mysterious Sator, with creative and impressive creature design that draws on natural elements to build a monster that rivals some of the most frightening in horror history.
Ultimately, Sator is a bold and audacious debut from Graham, one that will leave audiences unsettled for long after the final credits roll, while also cementing the filmmaker’s status as an exciting new voice in the industry and certainly one to watch.
Rating: 4/5
Sator is now available on VOD.