THE UNIVERSAL THEORY Review: Oscillating Between Creepy and Beautiful

In the age of the Marvel multiverse, The Universal Theory, directed by Timm Kröger, is a breath of fresh air.

Perhaps because it's science fiction in the most traditional sense of the term, in the same way Frankenstein by Mary Shelley gave birth to the genre. Black and white, dramatic lighting, gorgeous cinematography, commendable score and sound editing. A German film set in the Swiss Alps. Physics.

Johannes Leinert (Jan Bülow) is a young man travelling with his PhD supervisor to a congress. Dr. Strathen (Hanns Zischler) makes no secret of his disdain for Johannes thesis, a formula of some sort that explains, well, everything. Especially when things begin to get strange-- a dead man is not dead, a mysterious pianist (Olivia Ross) knows about Johannes' life and secrets, congress attendees start peeling and scabbing all over. It's something about quantum and dimensions, I think. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to take hard drugs in hopes it makes you smarter.

The Universal Theory oscillates between creepy and beautiful, with scant hilarious dialogue in dead-pan delivery. The suspense doesn't hold up for the entirety of the film, with the viewer becoming accustomed to the slow pace, but again, there's plenty to look at.

The acting is also worthy of note. The mysterious pianist, Karin, is of course a love interest, one who seems to have known and loved another Johannes. The plot is haunting, particularly towards the end. It manages to get even more meta, with a film inside a film and a good old jab at Italian cinema. The Universal Theory is unsettling and sad, because what else could it possibly be?

The film is now playing in New York at Quad Cinema and will open in Los Angeles (Laemmle Royal) on October 11, via Oscilloscope Films. Visit the official site for more information.