Review: ‘A Wounded Fawn’ delves into the mind of a madman

In Greek mythology, The Wrath of Erinys is depicted as three furies, or goddesses, bent on retribution and vengeance against men for their crimes against humanity. A victim could call out to the furies, and their judgment would be swift and severe. Director Travis Stevens reapplies this folklore into a modern setting with his bonkers, face-peeling new feature, A Wounded Fawn, co-written with Nathan Faudree. Explicit themes about male fragility and aggression tangle with the power of womanhood, tucked comfortably inside startling and vivid images lying somewhere between reality and fantasy.

The film opens with an often-cited Leonora Carrington quote: “I suddenly became aware that I was both mortal and touchable and that I could be destroyed.” This enlightened statement becomes the film’s thesis through which Stevens toys with the audience and makes it seem they’re losing their minds along the way. But we’re simply voyeurs peeping into a deranged fable that deconstructs the male preoccupation with robbing women of power and their lives.

Josh Ruben plays Bruce, a serial killer who targets young, pretty women. And Bruce claims there’s a part of himself buried deep inside that tells him to. It manifests itself through the peculiar visage of a Madagascar red owl, which, in many cultures, is a harbinger of death. It simply brings to light the darkness that’s always been there, and it begs the question whether murderous impulses are a product of nature or nurture. It could be both or neither一and the film isn’t trying to find an answer. It’s dissecting one man’s proclivity for murder and how aggression towards women in our society feeds the beast.

Meredith (Sarah Lind), an art dealer, has struck up quite a romance with Bruce. It’s still in its early stages, but it shows great promise. Oh, if she only knew the psychopath festering behind those adorable eyes. Wanting to get for the weekend, Bruce invites Meredith to a cabin nestled deep in the woods. It’s your typical set-up: boy meets girl, boy and girl take a roadtrip, and shit gets wild. It’s not unlike the film Fresh, also released this year, at least in terms of the premise. The two films back-to-back could not be more different. As Meredith gets settled into the cabin, she notices a piece of art, The Wrath of Erinys, that recently came through her gallery. It’d been reported stolen, after Bruce paid a little unwelcome visit to the original buyer.

Meanwhile, Bruce fights the urge to kill her. The red-feathered owl taunts him, and it’s only a matter of time before he succumbs to the poison and commits an ungodly act. When Meredith claims she’s seeing things, Bruce gaslights her into believing she’s crazy. She demands to be driven home, but it’s only madness she’s driven to. And Bruce is more than happy to oblige.

A Wounded Fawn spirals out from there, as Bruce loses his sanity and enters a bizarre land in which he must confront his crimes and pay the highest of prices. Ruben jolts you awake with a wonderfully unhinged performance. He shifts between quiet, lip-quivering moments to totally bonkers, pulling into crazy town that could be a scene straight out of “Strait-Jacket” or “The People Under the Stairs.” He’s deranged and unforgettable. “I want people to be happy,” pleads Bruce in the climax of the film. For her part, Lind balances Ruben’s performance with a gentle command, her presence filling up just as much space. It’s truly magnetic to watch.A Wounded Fawn is one of the year’s kookiest releases, joining a menagerie of disturbed creations that includes Men, Barbarian, and Something in the Dirt. Don’t miss it. It’s now streaming on Shudder.

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