What do you get when you mix Misery with Brokeback Mountain? A very sexually fluid version of Crimson Peak that might make you think if we need more of this on the big screen or are we still much close-minded to just let it happen on television. In this case, The One You Feed is that film.

A stranger hiking around the woods (Gareth Koorzen) is suddenly mauled by a bear. Rescued by a woman living in a Lizzie Borden fantasy (Rebecca Fraiser), the stranger begins to wonder for a short period of time what the heck he’s doing at her house if he has never seen her before in his life. He meets another man (Drew Harwood) living in the sort of same horrible conditions the stranger is experiencing and confides in him for the sake of keeping what’s left of his sanity until he feels betrayed but attracted to him at the same time. While being mistreated by the sociopathic woman, the stranger must find a way out before she’s done playing with him and decides to get rid of him, definitely.

The One You Feed is more promising than you could expect. It’s confusing as it starts off without explanation— there’s not even a dialogue present during the intro. Until we get to the scenes where the stranger lives with his kidnapper, it is when the plot allows the viewer to formulate their own theories, from why was the stranger hiking to what the deal is with the elderly man asking for eggs. You can even feel the natural aspects of the film when moments like a slap or a profuse blow to the head are acted out— those slaps, punches and slams looked real.

All the shots are very artistic: the letterbox format to portray the claustrophobic feeling of it, the cuts to fluidly tell the story, the scanty props on set, and the stretched transitions that seem to make no sense. All of this helps to create a path that allows entry to the sexual undertones of the plot. Although the main theme is the grief of losing a loved one and how we try to find a replacement to forget our pain, as a secondary subject we get to see sexual frustration coming from all the main characters; from those who demand it to those who exceed it. It’s kind of funny that most of the motives from the characters come from it but whenever there’s nudity on frame it is never intended for a sexual motive— it stands there without any gratification and it made me appreciate it for not becoming an X-rated film.

From widescreen to letterbox and several slaps that could almost be heard around the world, The One You Feed is an artsy drama/thriller that leaves no man behind and clears the air with a grim but decisive ending.

8 OUT OF 10 SLAPS