A germophobe trapped in a pandemic, Machination attempts to tell a story of anxiety and fear but, after a litany of directionless technical issues, ends up being more hollow than haunted.

A short, hour-long feature, Machination by Nexus Productions is not the first thriller to set its sights on the horrors of a pandemic, and neither will it be the last.

For obvious reasons, the lockdown premise has gained a lot of traction, but co-writers and directors Sarah Jayne and Ivan Malekin stray from the beaten path. Where most felt their neuroses heightened by the lack of social contact, this psychological drama focuses on an extreme germophobe terrified of getting sick.

This isn’t the run-of-the-mill thriller that emits claustrophobia because the protagonist is trying to escape, rather it suffocates the audience as it digs itself deeper down the rabbit hole. Or, at least, it attempts to do so.

In practice, Machination suffers technically on nearly every axis. Visually, the film is a muted landscape that rarely escapes from Maria’s (Steffi Thake) rented apartment, the camera stuck alongside her in her self-made prison.

While the pale colours fit tonally, emphasising the tedium of her solitary confinement, the cinematography lacks direction as scenes tended to lack a cinematic flow. Many shots seemed to serve a function rather than a purpose – Maria picks at her fingers anxiously and the camera jarringly swaps to an awkward close-up of her hand that lingers a little too long. The intended effect is clear – an elevation of her anxiety that also sets up thematic payoffs for later – but it only ruins the immersion as the camera lacks focus; it lacks intention.

It also lacks depth. For most of the film, everything remains in stark detail, the background rarely blurring out as the shot remains wide, the only change is when the angle shifts to yet another alienating perspective.

When Maria is having a panic attack, I felt disconnected rather than empathetic as the shot stayed wide and clearly in focus; little to no emotional engagement in the visual narrative. The edit does not help its case either as should-be thrilling moments are weighed down by clunky cuts, the same shot used consecutively except the latter is zoomed-in – a weak attempt to create a human connection.

An extreme germophobe terrified of getting sick

But the long takes do allow Thake to completely submerge herself into Maria’s troubled mind, her performance carrying the lean narrative. When Maria comes home, we see her sterilisation process in its entirety, vigorously scrubbing her hands and disinfecting her belongings in a long and tedious fashion – feelings that capture her reality.

However, the scene is diminished by its obnoxious sound design as audio elements cut in and out loudly, lacking the subtlety that would have made the scene silently nerve-wracking. The issue persists throughout: keys loudly jingling when they are barely touched, sounds not matching the pacing of the action, voices through a mobile phone sounding robotic instead of filtered.

Innocent without intimacy… Steffi Thake. Photo: Nexus Productions

Even without all the technical turbulence, Machination’s plot starts with Maria already treading water in the deep end. As her mental state quickly deteriorates, there is a lack of context that acts as a barrier between audience and character. Rarely do I believe a film should be longer, but with so little on who Maria was, it is difficult to remain invested, even with Thake’s honest and psychological performance.

As the film wraps up, glimmers of Maria’s past shine through but it is too late. The explanations that Malekin and Jayne offer are traumatic and visceral but lack the raw intimacy that films such as Merjen provide, once again failing to produce what, on paper, should have been a turbulent catharsis. And, while it is certainly authentic, Machination struggles to survive its ailments, souring its own importance long before the climax.

I should have felt introspective as the credits rolled by, instead I only felt empty and upset; agitated that a film with such clear ambitions completely missed the mark.