Woodshock. 2017. USA. Written and directed by Kate Mulleavy, Laura Mulleavy. With Kirsten Dunst, Joe Cole, Pilou Asbæk. DCP. 100 min.
The exquisite feature debut of visionary fashion designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy (of Rodarte), Woodshock is a hypnotic exploration of isolation, paranoia, and grief that exists in a dream-world all its own. At its center is an indelible performance by Kirsten Dunst as Theresa, a haunted young woman spiraling in the wake of profound loss, torn between her fractured emotional state and the reality-altering effects of a potent drug.
When it was originally released in 2017, Woodshock was light years ahead in its hallucinatory, often nonlinear depiction of a young woman’s sadness and loneliness. Six years later, we revisit the Mulleavy siblings’ immersive, spellbinding film, which transcends genre and delivers a singularly thrilling cinematic experience.