The seasons are changing and along with it the days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping significantly, and the leaves are changing colors, ready to fall at any given second. These are all normal occurrences during this time of year, but perhaps this is all the beginning of something much more serious… Oh, nevermind, it only feels like that because it is the second week in a row that I’ve watched a film which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. This time around, it is Colinda Bongers and Thijs Meuwese’s Molly.
Deacon (Joost Bolt) is the self-proclaimed leader of the marauders who fancies putting together pit fights for all of his followers to enjoy. The combatants of the fights are supplicants — individuals captured by Deacon and his crew who are then given a virus of some sort, making them ferocious unhuman beings. There is a legend of a girl with powers and after Deacon’s crew spot the girl, they begin the hunt and track her down, in hopes of making the first ever super-powered supplicant. Molly (Julia Batelaan) has other plans, however.
Last week I watched Death Race Beyond Anarchy, a film full of action and over-the-top gore. This week, while the setting and plot are similar, Molly is much more tame. There is a high body count, but almost all deaths are bloodless and rather mundane, the fight choreography seems kind of sluggish and even downright silly at times. This isn’t to say that Molly was at all unenjoyable, though.
Julia Batelaan plays our titular character, Molly. She kind of looks like your average girl next door, with her cute glasses and top-of-the-head ponytail; She isn’t some new-school fighting machine like John Wick, but she is badass enough to be able to handle herself in some rather sticky situations. Oh yeah, she also happens to have some pretty intense sonic boom-like powers, too. Other than a few brief dream sequences/flashbacks, there isn’t much explanation or exploration of why Molly has these powers. She can only use them sometimes, it seems, but they do manage to get her out of trouble on more than one occasion.
The performances from the entire cast were all very good, but what really makes this movie worth your time is the way it looks. Most films that revolve around some sort of post-apocalyptic world are dull and dreary, full of barren wastelands. On the contrary, in the world of Molly, the forests of full of trees and flourishing and all of the colors on the screen are bright and vibrant. Everything is rather beautiful. The establishing shots and the single cut tracking sequences help to display this almost-neon world remarkably and are fascinating to watch.
Molly isn’t a fast-paced action film full of blood and guts; instead it is a story of a girl with extraordinary abilities trying to stay away from bad people, helping others along the way. I recommend it for the cinematography and effects work, but also enjoyed the acting and overall storyline, as well. You can pick up a copy for yourself today on DVD or Blu-ray or watch it on VOD streaming, from Artsploitation Films.
I give Molly 3 bear traps to the head out of 5.
