The rivalry between twin sisters at the prestigious Juilliard music school in New York. One of the two will come across a diary riddled with occult and satanic references, which will allow him to become the star of the school.
What could be better than a small demonic pact to finally gain the upper hand over a sister who has always overshadowed you? Twins, Vivian and Juliet have always had a gift for the piano since their earliest childhood. Today, in a renowned school, it is now accepted in the eyes of all that Vivian is the most prodigal child of the family, leaving Juliet no other choice than to step aside in front of the success to his sister. But a mysterious notebook that belonged to a late gifted student could well change things … We will not teach you, from “Suspiria” to “Black Swan”, the strict environment of a prestigious establishment setting the ideal artistic as the sole objective to the success of his students has always married perfectly to the various registers of horror to give heights of cinema still present in everyone’s mind today. By subscribing to this straight line, it was therefore logical that “Nocturne”, third feature film of the anthology “Welcome to the Blumhouse”, already attracts a little more the eye than its other colleagues at the announcement of their exit. After having discovered it, we will unfortunately only be able to bring this film closer to the condition of its heroine before the discovery of the demonic notebook allowing her to assert herself. “Nocturne” indeed appears as a diligent, wise, discreet student, striving to tick all the boxes of the specifications imposed by the genre in which he wants to shine at all costs, but which clearly lacks this innate gift to show a singular madness, to stand out and join the cinematographic elite to which he would so much like to belong. The “Nocturne” pupil thus has a plastic which does not demerit, having the good idea of ​​often translating in a perceptible way the loss of reference marks of Juliet by the image (the sound dressing is also to be welcomed in this sense) or of to appeal – a bit timidly – to a range of effects / colored filters as soon as the esotericism knocks at the door of its intrigue (it will be summed up all the same to vague small “suspiriesque” lapping diluted in the whole). The interpretation is also not left out, Sidney Sweeney and Madison Iseman make the ins and outs of their twin rivalry credible. Basically, the student “Nocturne” delivers an alarming dissertation far from being stupid on the excesses of such an environment on youth. The unconscious pressure of carefree parents, the permanent requirement of an environment which itself seeks to ensure its survival through excellence, recourse to the worst extremes to ensure its success, the adult influence of teachers far more present than the family , popularity and recognition as synonyms of personal fulfillment … Everything that this subject can cover as harmful consequences is at least quickly evoked until a conclusion which, it too, will not elude the tragic fatalism of the situation. We can nevertheless regret that the film treats equally important adolescent bedtime stories very agreed and some of its themes much more essential. The returned copy is therefore not devoid of fine intentions or honorable words, “Nocturne” only never succeeds in finding an innovative formula in order to fascinate us when reading it, contenting itself with ape schoolally more illustrious models without having the impact force. Like Juliet, perhaps director Zu Quirke should also have made a demonic pact that allowed her to give a unique tone, new approach and unexpected madness to “Nocturne” to make it a very great first film. In this case, it can only be instantly forgotten in the shadow of the greatest.