Movie Review: ‘Parallel’ has more than a few surprises

By Matt Pascarella

Not Rated
Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

Vanessa and her husband Alex are coping with the loss of their son, Obe. Vanessa goes for a walk in the woods, where she encounters someone who takes a couple shots at her. She isn’t hit and does not see the individual. When she gets back to the cabin that she and Alex share with his brother, Martel, she notices something strange after Martel burns his hand and she sees it in two different conditions.

She returns to the woods where she meets a version of Alex who explains that the woods carry fragmented versions of a world in which Vanessa, Alex and Martel belong, called a multiverse. Vanessa is trying to find the space that might bring her son back. What follows is a very interesting, albeit confusing at times, hunt for different versions of the characters who Vanessa tries to decipher if they’re from the space she is looking to get to.

When I first read the description for “Parallel” I was expecting a science fiction-based horror movie, and what I got was not that, but I was still on board throughout this time-warped adventure.

“Parallel” stars Danielle Deadwyler, Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge.

Vanessa (Deadwyler) looks out the window moments before a bird then flies directly into it. She and her husband Alex (Aldis Hodge), along with Alex’s brother Martel (Edwin Hodge) live in a cabin in the woods.

Alex and Vanessa lost their son one year ago. Alex fears he is losing his wife. After an argument, Vanessa goes for a walk in the forest where someone sees through their scope someone take a few shots at her but miss.

Back at the cabin, Martel burns his hand on the grill; Vanessa goes to check on him. He says it’s not as bad as they originally thought, and his hand is unbandaged. However, moments later Martel returns from outside and has a bandage on his hand.

Vanessa returns to the forest and finds a bloody handprint on a fence marked with “do not enter” signs. She enters anyway. Vanessa finds it hard to stay on the trail without getting turned around. She puts trail markers on the trees. Could there be someone else watching her?

After reentering the forest, she meets a different version of Alex from a different space in time. The spaces are fragmented versions of the world. The other version of Alex explains this multiverse with a detailed drawing.

They each learn about the other’s past and try to figure out how to get back to their original space.

It’s here that things get strange. Vanessa returns to the cabin where she tries to explain the multiverse to Alex and Martel. I had a hard time figuring out which versions of Alex and Martel were interacting with which Vanessa. They tie her to a chair, because another version of Vanessa has appeared.

Alex wants to shoot a version of Vanessa, but Martel stops him.

Vanessa returns to the forest, looking for Alex. After they argue about what the right thing to do is, he tells her to find a space and take it.

Vanessa meets herself and there is a struggle.

As mentioned, I expected this to have more of a horror-theme to it, but what’s scarier than meeting a version of yourself in the woods and not knowing if the people you interact with may see you as a threat? The plot moves quickly, and my only real complaint is it was hard to follow at times, trying to figure out which version is the “correct” version(s) that Vanessa is looking for. This is not an action-packed movie, but my attention was grabbed and held trying to figure out how this multi-versed forest works, to which I still have no definitive explanation.

In past movies I’ve seen, sometimes a small cast can make the movie drag, because you are constantly seeing the same faces with no new interactions, but this was different.

Four out of five stars.

Now streaming on Paramount-Plus, Showtime and available to rent. <