Review Of Psychological Thriller —Clock (2023)

Then her friends at the baby shower harass her with the question: when will she have a baby? Ella begins to feel the pressure but maintains her position that she doesn't want one. Whenever her dad comes to the house for a visit, he guilts her with a similar question.

Her husband advises her to go in for a breast cancer check which leads to a chat with the gynaecologist. Ella reveals that her clock is probably 'broken'. The gynaecologist recommends an ongoing clinical trial to help her problem. When Ella attends and begins the tests, her world begins to spiral out of control. Will she survive the trial and be "fixed"? Is there a grand conspiracy behind the clinical trial? I recommend you watch this film.

Review

At the heart of this disconcerting psychological thriller is the question: When is it the right time for a woman to conceive? Should women do this as led by their hormones or make careful planning before taking this important step or can they CHOOSE not to take the step at all? The latter part of this question is Ella's plight in this compelling film.

The plot and storytelling are great and effectively capture what most women face but few are bold enough to talk about it, including Alexis Jacknow. I enjoy psychological thrillers because most stroke the edge of the horror genre and like to mess with our minds. There are some horror scenes in this film which made it very interesting.

I like that there's a little bit of science fiction with the inclusion of an unconventional way to "start" the clock and get women ready. I find the science fiction part a little funny because there's no damaged or broken clock as claimed by the film. The clock is fixed and keeps ticking until it comes to an end. So, don't believe everything you watch on screen!

Apart from watching films for fun, I also do so to learn new things. This film taught me a little about the Rorschach test, a psychological test that uses inkblots to detect any thought disorder. I find this test funny (inconclusive) in a way because I think everyone has thoughts which means our brains and minds function perfectly but at what point do those thoughts become wayward to be labelled as a 'disorder'?

Dianna Agron's character, Ella, took the test and began to hallucinate. Before the test, she was fine and had normal thoughts without any images morphing into weird shapes. After the test, she began to see things that were not there. How could this 'disorder' have appeared out of nowhere? I guess this is a question for the psychologists.

The performance of the cast, especially Dianna Agron is laudable. Her acting is heartfelt, delicate and touching. The audience, mostly childless women, can empathise because of her poignant performance. The psychological theme of the film explores the pain, distress and sometimes psychosis that women who undergo fertility treatments face. Ella represents those women without a voice, compelled by society through brainwashing to make unwanted choices.

This movie sends the message that motherhood is not an easy task and that not every woman should be a mother. We live in a judgemental world where childless women are being pushed into motherhood because of the fear of being seen as "worthless". Every woman should be allowed that choice and not be demeaned for it.

Overall, Clock is a flick worth watching for thriller and horror lovers. I'll give it 4 stars out of 5.

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^{Other images are screenshots from the movie}