Decay is one of those movies that feels more like a 90 minute tone poem rather than anything that's intent on telling a story. Honestly, not a ton of stuff happens over the course of the film - it's more of a sparse, moody character study of this lonely and mentally ill man. There's not a ton of suspense or scares... just this clearly troubled person hanging out with a dead body.
My Synopsis: Mild mannered Jonathan is a lonely guy who lives alone and has some strange habits (he compulsively collects keys, but also grows beautiful orchids in his basement). He also has a bad case of OCD - not quite crippling, but getting there. One day, he returns home to find that two young women have broken into his house. One of them falls and kills herself in his home, and the other dies while fleeing. But rather than report the accident in his house, Johnathan decides to keep her, later reporting to his friend that he's "met somebody." Decay is the story of how that "relationship" works. (And let's throw in some flashbacks of his abusive, clearly insane mother.)
Elaborate Genre: Moody/dramatic character study, a smidge of body horror. (Although less than you'd think after learning the premise.) I wish there was a genre for "horror, because what else could it possibly be?"
Overall: Pretty solid. Not very rewarding on a story level, but well made, unsettling, and ultimately enjoyable.
That synopsis may make it sound like there's a lot going on in Decay, but that's not really the case. The "action" is pretty much limited to the first five minutes. Other than periodic flashbacks to Jonathan's childhood (which are more character building than plot-propelling), you just bear witness Jonathan going through his strict daily routine, again and again. Which now includes him caring for a decaying corpse.
But there's something oddly soothing (or maybe "comfortable" is the word) about the repetition in in the film. On the surface, you never really get to know Jonathan. He spends most of the film alone (or with a corpse), so his routine basically "becomes" his character. And given the situation that he's gotten himself into, you can see how this routine is the only thing that he can lean on for support. It's really kind of an interesting angle for a film to take. It seems like Decay is cinematically explaining obsessive behavior, and it does a good job contrasting the "reality" of the world vs. whatever Jonathan is seeing. While it doesn't necessarily make for strong narrative story telling, it's a good hook for anyone looking for something a little different.
It helps that the film looks really good. There are some really beautiful visual flourishes in the film, and it's nicely shot. And while there's a lot of repetition, there's some variety in the visuals and the editing. The flashbacks have a nice retro tone (without being too obvious), and the editing from (also) writer/director Joseph Wartnerchaney is solid - some quick cuts, some long takes, sometime mixed together in the same scene.
I've used "tone poem" a lot here, and that can conjure images of long, meandering shots or whatever. To me, the term means something that is more concerned with conveying a particular mood than telling a story. And I think that's what Decay does, and it does it well.
It also has a strong lead performance from Rob Zabrecky as Jonathan. At first, he looks a little too - striking? angular? quirky? - to work in the role. But as the film moves on he really grows into it. Other than Jackie Hoffman (imdb has her listed as a neighbor - I thought she was a social worker or something), the supporting cast doesn't fare as well in the acting department, but once all is said and done nothing is bad enough that it detracts from the film.
Gorewise? I read some imdb reviews about how you should have a "strong stomach" before you watch it - maybe I'm desensitized, but I could pretty easily eat a meal while watching this. Yeah, there are definitely some gross parts (mostly involving maggots/bugs), but given how far the body horror subgenre has gone in recent years, Decay didn't seem all that bad. Or maybe the intent of the film plays into it. It's not a gross-out film - while there are gross things here, it doesn't revel in them, you know?
At any rate, Decay is not a film for everyone. But I have the feeling that this is one that's going to stick with me for a while. If "tone poem horror" doesn't freak you out, it's worth a look.
I would recommend this film.
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