Sender
Rating: 4/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
As the internet progresses and becomes more advanced than it probably should be, more problems and threats against one's identity arise. Especially in the last few years, online scams that focus on e-commerce and identity theft have become a major, prevalent problem, and I don't think the real consequences of these actions are heavily focused upon in society. Russell Goldman's newest film Sender, which is loosely based on his 2022 short film, does a fantastic job of diving deep into the psyche of someone who is being scammed, which is made even more alarming as the person sending her these bizarre packages hit a little too close to home. The stylistic tone and filmmaking from Goldman keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat from beginning to end, constantly having them question what is real or not.
The film stars Britt Lower as Julia Day, a former alcoholic who has now gotten sober after being fired. She's not sure how to navigate this new way of living, and it starts to make it a little more difficult when random packages start showing up to her door. However, these packages aren't just bizarre items, they're things she used or items to remind her of her past life that she is trying to leave behind. Convinced that someone is stalking her and sending her these packages to get inside her head, Julia starts to investigate into who is sending her these packages and why they would want to do this to her.
To start, I think the aspect of this film that stands out the most is the way Goldman crafts this film, and how he works with editor Marco Rosas to capture this state of mind that Julia is in. She is trying her hardest to not turn back to alcohol and live this new life, but this anonymous sender that is haunting her everyday makes it hard for her to not fall down this rabbit hole and become even more paranoid. Goldman is able to capture this excellently, really allowing the viewer to enter Julia's psyche and get inside of her head. The viewer then starts to wonder if this is just a random string of attacks against a random person during an online scam, or is this really a targeted attack against her due to a personal vendetta from someone in her past life? Goldman is able to craft this script and bring it to life on the screen in a way that really gets under the viewer's skin and unsettle them as more and more packages keep arriving on Julia's doorstep. I mention the editing from Rosas here as well because the editing is constantly fast-paced, and they use the soundtrack and score to further show Julia's descent into paranoia.
Lower steals the show here, with her giving it her all in nearly every single scene in this film. I always adore performances like this as it allows the lead to really experiment and explore how they want to tackle this character. She brings Julia to life from Goldman's script, and she is able to add in these little quirks and expressions that make Julia the way she is. While I'm sure this character was already well-written, Lower is able to add so much more through physical mannerisms and this performance that shows the decay of one's sanity due to being targeted in such an attack.
At the same time, the supporting cast here all are wonderful, especially David Dastmalchian. He plays Charlie, a delivery driver that Julia friends as she keeps seeing him when he delivers the numerous packages. Dastmalchian gives a very nuanced performance as this delivery driver, and he serves as the character that Julia can rely on for help and to ensure her that she is not going crazy. I love their chemistry together, and there is something so peculiar about the way that Dastmalchian brings this character to life that you can't help but feel drawn towards his character. On the flip side, Anna Baryshnikov plays Julia's sister Tatiana, who is almost in a worse state than Julia is in. Baryshnikov is wonderful at playing this sort of creepy and overly-concerned sister, and she provides this sort of foil for Julia. She is great at being unnerving in the best times, and the scenes she shares with Lower shows off both of their acting chops. Jamie Lee Curtis, who is one of the producers on this film, and Ken Jeong have smaller roles in this film, but they both leave a lasting impression after the film concludes.
The only problem I think I have with this film was it felt like Goldman was simply trying to do too much in an hour-and-a-half film. There is so much going on that contributes very well to the idea of Julia being targeted or losing her sanity, but there is also a lot of minor details that I think could have been left out. One that stands out to me is the incision of Curtis' character. I understand the scope of why her character matters and is important in the context of the film, but I think Goldman goes a little too far with trying to include her character. This film could have benefited from being a little more tight and concise, but it gets its message and story across quite well regardless.
This picture right here is a major reason why we all need to support indie and smaller films. Goldman was able to tell a terrific psychological thriller that is important in this day and age, and I think a lot of people need to see this film. This was a great downward spiral into someone's psyche and how their sanity could be affected by criminal acts like this, and I can't wait to see what story he is able to come up with next.
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