Review: ‘Day of a Lion’ roars with quiet persistence

Filmmakers have to do a ton of heavy lifting to make a one-location horror film exciting. With Day of a Lion, creative team (and twin sisters) Bianca Foscht and Dilara Foscht erect a fascinating glimpse into the lives of two women traumatized by their childhoods through a dialogue-heavy drama/thriller that presents a thought-provoking element about how the past never really stays dead. Set entirely in their childhood home, the film uses their volatile dynamic as the propulsive mechanism to drive the narrative forward. As the co-writers, co-directors, and co-stars, the Foscht twins test the audience’s patience, unraveling the story in increments that may not work for all viewers.

Wanda (Bianca) has whiled away in the house that raised her, whereas Dolly (Dilara) escaped into a bitterly cold world. Also twin sisters, they temporarily mend their estrangement with a band-aid after the death of their father. The house seems frozen in time, bringing up bad memories and reopening wounds. The story, which takes place in the 1950s, feels like a relic from a bygone era – the pressures of the then-modern society push against them and add further destruction to their already tenuous situation. Wanda and Dolly go for the throat in their conversations, which might be even more brutal and nail-bitingly tense than an outright brawl. Their words stab like daggers and draw enough blood to drain from one another.

The reunion is far from pretty. Through discussing the rightful inheritor of their father’s estate, Wanda and Dolly dig and scratch at the dirt surrounding their past. In unearthing what they thought was long dead (or at least compartmentalized), their pain roars back to life with a vengeance. The walls close in tighter, trapping them inside and leaving them only able to confront each other. The process might be agonizing, but it’s a necessary transition if they hope to reclaim their lives. But as things escalate, one unexpected conclusion becomes the only way ahead. It turns into a fight for survival that’ll leave them both gasping for breath.

What Bianca and Dilara produce should be commended. Between their emotionally wrought performances and the clean-cut cinematography, owed to their work with DP Marco Lamera, the film benefits from their unwavering commitment to the work that rivals big-budget releases. While the story doesn’t always work (the slow-burn pacing forces the audience to hyper-focus on the script to a delirious degree), Day of a Lion does feel like an important moment for the filmmakers.

The full-length feature gives Bianca and Dilara, as well as Simone Neviani, who plays Wanda’s lover Geronimo, plenty of meat to chew on. And that’s half the battle. They understand their characters’ motives, wants, and desires in every single scene, slotting together the pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle. There’s never a moment guided by their acting work that doesn’t serve a purpose to the greater story. With a shoestring budget, the dynamic duo make damn sure to leave a mark you won’t soon forget.

Day of a Lion is out now on VOD.