Solvent: Review

11th January 2025

Solvent: Review. By Robert Ewing.

The rise of fascism and far-right ideologies are becoming overly commonplace in mainstream news headlines. Whether it be Donald Trump making remarks about Canada becoming the 51^st State of America or the marital law incident in South Korea. Seeing world-changing events and hearing horrible rhetoric is genuinely scary and nerve-wracking. Although, this could be viewed as history repeating itself for older generations. Solvent focuses on the horrors of the past, mainly the actions of the Nazis, particularly the Holocaust. I believe it is making a statement on the idea of far-right ideologies being always present. Even if it is deeply buried beneath the ground, it will eventually rise to the surface. However, the execution is deeply flawed.

We open on a team of experts, with key members being Gunner S. Holbrook (Jon Gries), Krystyna Szczepanska (Aleksandra Cwen) and Ernst Bartholi (Johannes Grenzfurthner). They are brought together as they explore and document Wolfgang Zinggle’s farmhouse, who disappeared in 2014 and is the grandfather of Ernst Bartholi. When they enter the farmhouse, they uncover an abundance of Nazi documents, these are not the documents they are looking for. However, when exploring a wine cellar, they uncover a dark secret. A secret that is so intoxicating that Gunner S. Holbrook wants to uncover the truth about what is in the cellar even if he goes made because of it.

The strongest aspect of Solvent is its visual aesthetic. Whether it is the derelict farmhouse that, from the moment they crack open the front door, looks genuinely sinister. The omnipresence of the horrific actions committed by Nazis is genuinely unnerving. While what was discussed is nothing new, nevertheless, the idea that there could be people out there that still have Nazi memorabilia and documents just lying in their homes is scary. The use of found footage adds to the aesthetic as we feel present to all the horrors being uncovered.

Once we enter the wine cellar, the film shifts gears, becoming more of a horror film compared to the mystery the film started with. This shift is what I feel will make or break the film for people. Krystyna is spooked by something that comes from this mysterious pipe in the cellar. The film then mainly focuses on what spooked Krystyna and what is up with this pipe. We see Gunner go down the rabbit hole of curiosity and go insane, from drinking mysterious liquids to storing his urine in bottles. There are even hints of another personality. Without spoiling Solvent, I get what writer and director Johannes Grenzfurthner is trying to say. As stated before, I believe the film is about how the past actions of Nazis might be buried underground. However, eventually, that darkness will boil to the surface and infect people, allowing for a new wave of far-right ideologies to infect the public zeitgeist.

Ultimately though, finding that through line within the film is difficult. It, in a way, makes the film feel like two films combined into one. One follows a group of experts delving into the dark past of someone’s family, and the other of someone going insane and the graphic depiction of Gunner bottling his urine, and I do mean graphic. There is nothing left to the imagination. The final twenty minutes are just sheer insanity and had me genuinely looking away at the screen as it was just disgusting.

My biggest flaw with the film is that I found the acting to be inconsistent. There are many moments where the performances feel forced and then, in turn, come across as fake. Despite that, there are moments where the opposite occurs, and it is hard not to become invested. Especially when Gunner’s other personality comes to the surface, the slight change in his performance is noticeable and genuinely mind-blowing.

Solvent is a distinct and fascinating film. Even as I write this review, I am still confused about how I feel about it. I was never bored while watching it, and at times, I found it horrific. On the other hand, I do feel the film is kind of messy trying to tackle a deeply complex and important narrative while also trying to be a nerve-wracking horror. There are great ideas here, but either it went over my head or how the film reveals its mysteries is convoluted.

2 Stars

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