Metamorphosis (2023): An itch you can’t scratch

To call Orla Meyer’s two-minute-long animated riff on Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis “Lynchian” would be reductive - both to Meyer’s brilliant work and David Lynch’s. However, at the first sight of the protagonist’s unusually tall, wavy hair, it’s hard not to be reminded of the similar iconic look of Jack Nance’s character, Henry, in Eraserhead. The scratchy TV static-like sound design and grimy texture of the images in Meyer’s film also evoke an unease close to that of Lynch’s film, but make no mistake, this is no simple retread of familiar aesthetics that can be pinned down as “Lynchian” or “Kafkaesque”; in fact, the palpable dread of Metamorphosis is rooted in unfamiliarity. The spaces these characters occupy are decayed - their bedrooms and bathrooms are obscured by shadows and granular textures that erode all signs of familiarity. The constant humming noise permeating their homes indicates that something is not quite right. When in motion, their bodies wriggle around almost as if melting. Insects make squelching and buzzing noises as their bodies break apart and rot away. Images grow increasingly surreal - like when the man with the tall hair sinks into his bed and is swallowed up by the shadows. This world Meyer creates is so disturbing because it’s so hard to put your finger on what exactly is wrong. Why does a close-up of big eyes bulging evoke such terror? Perhaps it’s the unique blend of textures that Meyer experiments within her animation, or maybe it’s the short length of the film that ends with no closure - only an eerie grin from a face staring directly at the viewer. It’s definitely both - among a whole list of things that contribute to the strongly maintained atmosphere of Metamorphosis. Meyer’s work doesn’t take long to creep under your skin-and it’ll sit there for a while after like a bug wriggling around inside you, or like the itch of bite that you can’t quite scratch.

Check out more of Orla Meyer’s work here!