Transference: Review

5th March 2020

Joshua (Jeremy Ninabar) and Emma (Melissa Joy Boerger) are siblings, twins in fact and ever since they were born, they’ve held a strong connection. However, when Emma develops supernatural powers, Joshua sees no other option than to sedate her and keep her hidden from the people that may want to take her away and use her powers for evil.

The twins are also being harassed by somebody who also seems to have similar supernatural powers to Emma and it’s down to Joshua to do his best to keep Emma hidden away while he works to make money to keep them both alive. Unfortunately, this means competing in an underworld fight club, but it’s the only thing that keeps Joshua sane. Problems start to arise though as a mysterious man tracks them down and claims that he can help Emma control her powers.

Transference is the latest film from writer/director Matthew Ninabar and also the latest film to star his brother Jeremy. No doubt taking the experience of growing up as close siblings, Ninabar’s story takes the audience through the story of the two siblings and what Joshua is willing to do to protect his sister. The trouble is that there really isn’t anything new to be seen in the story and the few twists that come in the story really add nothing to it as the pacing is so slow and the ending so predictable.

Joshua is the typical hero of a story like this, he’s tall, blonde, brooding and… boring. He monologues about how he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, has always been angry and never feels more alive than when he’s punching seven shades of Sunday out of whoever he can get his hands on.

He may be the typical hero, but he’s also a lazy, cliched stereotype who could only appeal to the kind of meatheads who never connect with their feelings and blame everything on absent fathers. The most character development the audience gets out of Joshua is whether he may or may not have slept with the only woman he knows, Amanda (Jehan Hashim).

Then after what seems like an age the audience gets to the final act and the big reveal of the nature of Emma’s powers is… underwhelming. It’s hinted at what her powers may be throughout the film, but when it’s finally revealed it’s a mixture of every cliched superpowered character that comes to mind.

Is it telekinesis? Mind control? Force powers? It’s all very unclear and the supposed true villain of the story is about as ineffective and non-threatening as they come. The X-men could beat the villain on a bad day, even Deadpool could do it if he was given enough cash.

All in all, Transference is as dull and forgettable as its characters and really doesn’t offer the audience any surprises. A little character development and bonding between the characters may have helped, but as far as the story goes, nobody should really care.

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