Past Life Review: Jeremy Piven Anchors Pulpy British Thriller on Hypnotic Serial Killer Hunt
In Simeon Halligan's Past Life, Jeremy Piven delivers an authoritative performance as a celebrity hypnotist, anchoring a low-budget British mystery that blends psychological drama with pulpy thrills. Set in Manchester, the film follows a traumatised journalist's descent into a hypnotic portal to uncover a serial killer from a past incarnation.
A Hypnotic Descent into Danger
Jeremy Piven portrays Timothy Bevan, a hypnotist who claims to unlock past lives, leading client Jason, played by Aneurin Barnard, into perilous waters. Jason, a journalist haunted by witnessing a colleague's murder in Syria, volunteers for a live TV hypnosis session. This decision plunges him into a scarlet hall of horrors, where he glimpses a stabbing committed by his previous self, prompting his wife Claira, portrayed by Pixie Lott, to urge further sessions to seal this psychic door.
Temporal Detective Work and Creepy Subliminals
The narrative unfolds as Jason and Bevan become temporal detectives, tracking clues from past-life memories shot in giallo-tinted prowler-cam style, with the first crime scene on Mangle Street. Past Life excels in layering creepy subliminals, such as Jason's arthritis glove mirroring the killer's sheathed hands and eerie blues music heralding psychic eruptions. These elements subtly blur reality and memory, enhancing the film's atmospheric tension.
Plot Contrivances and Performance Nuances
Despite its strengths, the film stumbles in its final stretch with a pile-up of plot contrivances, including the introduction of Tim McInnerny's psychology lecturer. The script fails to credibly support insinuations of projection or false memory, leaving Barnard's performance one-dimensional compared to Piven's nuanced portrayal of haughty defensiveness. However, the film remains watchable throughout, offering a serviceable if not mesmeric experience.
Release Details and Overall Verdict
Past Life is released in UK cinemas on 20 March and on digital platforms on 6 April. While it doesn't reach the heights of classics like Danny Boyle's Trance, it provides a compelling, Manchester-set thriller with Jeremy Piven's standout performance driving the pulpy mystery forward.
