Week Ten: FLICK | The Fits, 2016, directed by Anna Rose Holmer

The Fits, 2016, directed by Anna Rose Holmer, story by Anna Rose Holmer, Saela Davis, Lisa Kjerulff

The Fits is a rare treat. It’s deeply considered without being pretentious, mesmerizing without sacrificing story, political without uttering a word of rhetoric. It also proves that a fantastic film can be created on a minuscule budget. This one weighs in at a featherweight, $168,000 which by the standards of practically any era of film making is chump change.

It’s about eleven year old Toni who is training to be a boxer along with her older brother. Toni becomes enamored by a dance team that practices in a gymnasium close by, and eventually she trades her pugilistic ambitions for a spot on the team. But there’s something weird going on. One by one, dancers are afflicted with mysterious “fits” that have them seizing on the floor, eyes rolled to the back of their skulls. The fits roll through the dance team like a slow wave as Toni waits her turn. That’s all you should need to start this one. Now go watch it on Prime for free. – GJ