Apr. 05, 2013|United States|96 Min.|n/A
Genre: Drama;Science;Fiction
Description: The film “Upstream Color” (2013) begins with a man known as the “Thief,” who harvests a type of larva known for its mind-altering effects when consumed. At a club, Kris (played by Amy Seimetz) is tasered and kidnapped by the Thief. He forces her to ingest the larva, which induces a hypnotic state, making her highly suggestible. The Thief uses elaborate distractions, such as having her create a paper chain with excerpts from the book *Walden*, while he manipulates her mind. This control leads her to liquidate her home equity, reveal a stash of valuable coins, and empty her bank account. Under hypnosis, Kris is prevented from eating solid food and only allowed minimal water at regulated intervals, which she finds intensely refreshing. After her release, Kris binges on food and falls asleep in soiled clothes at home. She awakens to discover large worms moving under her skin and attempts to remove them with a knife, without success.
Later, a pig farmer and field recorder, referred to as the “Sampler,” uses infrasonics to draw Kris to his farm. He silently performs a transfusion, transferring a worm from Kris’s body into a pig. Kris then wakes up in an abandoned SUV on the freeway with no memory of the traumatic events. Upon returning to her disheveled home, she notices bloodstains but decides against calling the police due to a lack of information. After cleaning up, she goes to work, only to be fired for her unexplained absence. A trip to the grocery store reveals her funds are entirely depleted.
Cast director: Shane Carruth
Cast actor: Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensenig, Thiago Martins, Carolyn King, Mollie Milligan, Myles McGee, Ashton Miramontes, Andreon Watson, Frank Mosley
Original name: Upstream Color