Baphomet Mountain (2021) Film Review
I won’t lie.
Baphomet Mountain is a film that isn’t hard to understand, but hard to typecast as a regular film. It’s definitely a different film that I had thought of when I read about it. Perhaps, you may find a synopsis somewhere, but I can assure you it’s not even a small limb of what Baphomet Mountain is.
Be prepared for a journey.
The frame of the story revolves around a religious zealot who’s searching for his brother. He says his brother was kidnapped by a cult that resides in the middle of the desert and worships the deity known as Baphomet. An encounter with a country singing hitchhiker sets the story on its course.
This road film with many settings regards a religious tone and mood that displeases anyone who’s looking for a regular dramatic film. It’s heavily improvised and it reminds us of an experimental aspect very common in the 70s but definitely not used in modern cinema. Does it work? Somehow it does. Does it matter? Maybe for some viewers who seek more than just a common storyline that ends up with a character resolution. Baphomet Mountain isn’t a place for this.
It’s a place for something more primal and emotionally unique. Austin B. Mitchell and Jeremy Reyes are in charge of this endeavor from top to bottom and in their hands resides a film that feels dark in its deep layer of religious fanaticism and its common practices and practitioners.
It was one of the few things I was able to translate and salvage from what felt like an overwhelming experiment of art, subversion, and twisted personality. Anything that goes beyond that is a product of interpretation, personal views, and the result of an experience that’s definitely not set for everyone.
Baphomet Mountain has a production backstory that could maybe justify its pattern and execution. It’s not enough to justify when some viewers feel like they missed a few guidelines. It’s a film that’s made with something in mind and it’s respected until the end.
However, you may feel as if that complex, very personal backstory of the filmmakers making their dream project makes more sense than the film itself, even if it’s a little garnished with some events that seem hard to believe. It’s not an autobiographical film, but it’s decisively personal. I can’t get over that level of personal anger the film showed at some point. It was violent, primal, and unnerving. Just like all religious zealots seem to be when their weak spot is played with.
Both stars behind the project have something to communicate and Baphomet Mountain is their best effort at doing it. If you’re not into experimental filmmaking, then be advised. This is one of those films. However, you may come to trespass your boundaries and reach over that wall of comfort that commercial cinema carries all the time. You may find some surprises along the way.
And if you like Lynch, and Easy Rider, then Baphomet Mountain could be a good choice for tonight. Just be aware. This isn’t a safe film. It’s more of a mind boggling one.
