Twixt (film)

Twixt (film) is a 2011 American Gothic horror film written, directed, and produced by Francis Ford Coppola. The story follows a struggling horror writer who becomes entangled in a supernatural murder mystery in a small town. The film features an ensemble cast led by Val Kilmer and blends elements of dream logic with a self-referential narrative style.

Plot

Hall Baltimore, a down-on-his-luck horror novelist, arrives in the remote town of Swann Valley on a book tour. The town is haunted by the unsolved murder of a young girl named V, and the local sheriff, Bobby LaGrange, proposes a collaboration on a new book. Hall begins experiencing vivid, time-bending dreams where he encounters the ghost of V and a mysterious young girl named Virginia. These visions intertwine with the town's history involving a 19th century writer, Edgar Allan Poe, and a clock tower with a dark secret. As Hall investigates, the line between reality and nightmare blurs, leading him to confront his own personal demons and the truth behind the murders.

Cast

* Val Kilmer as Hall Baltimore, a bestselling horror writer facing a career slump. * Bruce Dern as Bobby LaGrange, the eccentric sheriff of Swann Valley. * Elle Fanning as Virginia "V", the ethereal ghost of a murdered girl. * Ben Chaplin as Edgar Allan Poe, who appears in Hall's dreams as a guide. * Joanne Whalley as Denise Baltimore, Hall's estranged wife. * David Paymer as Sam Malkin, Hall's pragmatic literary agent. * Alden Ehrenreich as Flamingo, a charismatic and mysterious local. * Don Novello as Melvin, the owner of the local hardware store and motel. * Ryan Simpkins as Carolyne, a young resident of the town. * Anthony Fusco as Deputy, an officer working for Sheriff LaGrange.

Production

The project was conceived by Francis Ford Coppola following a vivid dream he experienced while staying in Istanbul. Development began under the working title Twixt Now and Sunrise, with Coppola financing the film independently through his Napa Valley winery, Francis Ford Coppola Presents. Principal photography took place in the summer of 2011 in Napa County and at Oakland's Paramount Theatre. Coppola employed innovative techniques, including live electronic music scoring during shoots by Dan Deacon and the use of real-time digital color grading. The director also experimented with presenting alternate versions of the film at festivals, using a live narrator to change the story's flow.

Release

Twixt premiered on September 11, 2011, at the Toronto International Film Festival. Following the festival circuit, which included screenings at the San Francisco International Film Festival and the Rome Film Festival, the film received a limited theatrical release in Europe, opening in Italy on April 13, 2012. In the United States, the film did not receive a wide theatrical release but was distributed through video on demand platforms by Lionsgate in late 2012, followed by a DVD and Blu-ray release.

Reception

Critical reception was predominantly negative, with many reviewers criticizing the film's narrative incoherence and uneven tone. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a low approval rating. Some critics, however, noted the film's ambitious visual style and praised the performances of Bruce Dern and Elle Fanning. The film was also noted for Francis Ford Coppola's personal experimentation with form, though this was not widely considered successful. It performed poorly at the box office and remains one of Coppola's lesser-known works from his later career.

Category:2011 films Category:American horror films Category:Films directed by Francis Ford Coppola