SXSW Review: ‘Odyssey’ Explores the Dark Cost of Projecting an Image of Success

Real estate agents have a job that can be both easy and hard. People want to live in certain places and to feel as if they’ve found their dream homes, and in some cases, the location and the property speak for themselves and can be compelling enough on their own. But there’s also a degree of imagination and possibility that those selling something have to infuse to make it undeniably appealing. A realtor needs to project an image of success and resilience, but what’s lying underneath may be considerably less put-together.

Natasha Flynn (Polly Maberly) achieves that rare quality of appearing both invested in the moment and being too busy to truly have time for human interaction. She wears a Bluetooth earpiece while showing prospective clients their next rental homes, and often closes deals just as soon as she walks outside, ensuring that one happy client will allow her to move right on to the next one without any delay. She, has, unfortunately, taken too many shortcuts to ensure that she’s doing well, resulting in a desperate attempt to clear her debts that involves taking custody of a competitor of hers who has been kidnapped by the people who assure her that she’ll meet a similar fate if she doesn’t cooperate.

Odyssey is an interesting specimen because it begins as one thing and then quickly spirals into something else entirely. The way that Natasha conducts herself shows a certain self-assuredness that’s bound to impress any client, and the fact that she looks busy only makes her time that much more valuable to them, as if she’s doing them a favor by putting a personal touch in to show them around herself. She runs the show and has people working for her, but when she’s left to fend for herself, that all unravels and she’s just as magnetic to watch, even if she’s far from in control.

The effectiveness of Odyssey relies heavily on the lead performance from Maberly. She plays Natasha as someone who doesn’t express any overt desire to be liked and who knows what’s necessary to get the job done. It’s obvious from the phone calls she receives from those she owes money to that she’s a smooth talker who’s convincing enough not to merit concern when they originally lend her money, and that she reveals little emotion in the way she communicates. Breaking down how that makes her function when she’s fighting for her life is an equally fascinating process that Maberly more than competently takes on as a challenge.

Alongside Maberly as an old associate with some knowledge of how to deal with sticky situations is Mikael Persbrandt, a memorable figure from In a Better World who is no stranger to experimental cinema following his last appearance at SXSW in 2019’s X & Y. He brings a gravitas to the role that helps the film undergo a severe tonal shift, descending into darkness as Natasha realizes the world that she’s entered and what’s going to be necessary for her to find a way out of it – or at least to survive long enough to come up with a plan. Director Gerard Johnson’s fourth feature film is an adrenaline-pounding thriller that begins from a place of calm and collectedness and slowly draws audiences in to the transformative nature of its content, showing just what happens when someone who projects an image of perfection to the world is forced to confront the steps she took to get there. It won’t be for everyone, but it finds its fitting tones and puts its trust in its main character to effectively carry the film.

Movie Rating: 7/10