Mikes Film Talk

Written and directed by  Christopher Di Nunzio  Delusion is a slow dark look at the grieving process. It is set against an urban backdrop. There is a mixture of the paranormal and a touch of evil. All this while a man tries to come to grips with his wife’s death. 

Delusion The Story

Frank Parrillo is a widower still haunted by the death of his wife Isabella three years previously.  Frank has just received a letter from Isabella, written before she died. This posthumous delivery starts Frank on a journey of self discovery. One that may a lead to the possible corruption of his soul. 

Frank’s search for closure takes a long time.  He speaks with a psychic who does a card reading. She warns him about a new person in his life. She will not, says the card reader,  be good for him.

Parrillo is, as Graziano plays him, a middle class “everyman.” A older chap going through his mid-life crisis alone. Frank tells his nephew early on that he likes younger women.  A fact made clear when he flirts with the young waitress at the diner.

But Frank is a nice fellow. The waitress flirts back and her older customer is delighted that he can connect with her.  It is Parrillo’s “nice guy” actions  that sets him up for a possible fall from grace.

While Parrillo is eager to laugh and joke in public, at home his demeanor is very different. He is plagued by odd dreams and he meets the woman that the psychic warned him about.

Mary (played by) is unsettling and mysterious.  She and Frank connect but it is clear that they do not really fit.  Tennille gives her character an unnerving personality that vacillates between being interesting and frightening.

The Cast

David Graziano is Frank Parrillo.

Carlyne Fournier is Isabella Parrillo.

 Jami Tennille is Mary.

Irina Peligrad is Lavinia.

Let’s Talk Delusion

The pacing of Delusion is very slow. It is also quite surreal. However, since Di Nunzio is looking at the process of grieving the loss of a loved one, it should be. Grief itself may eventually become a cathartic experience but it always a long time coming.

Everyday tasks and events become surreal in the face of that looming gap. “Seeing” the lost family member. A sense of expectation where we expect to hear their voice. Even seeing them come around a corner.

Di Nunzio  takes mentally tasking experience of grieving the loss of a spouse and gives it a supernatural Noir touch.

Frank struggles through his days with the aid of medication. He still hallucinates and relives special moments with his dead wife.  His constant memories make us wonder. Combined with the skull face woman he keeps seeing, leads us to believe Parrillo may be imagining the whole thing.

A man in a black suit and red tie pops in. There is every chance that this elusive character may have designs on Frank’s well being.

Jump Scares

Horror fans expecting jump scares are going to be disappointed. Although at least one scene will give the viewer a bit of  a start.  Delusion  is more about the mental processes we go through. It focuses on the un-nerving and unsettling  aspects of what may or may not be real.

The title says it all. Frank may well be suffering a delusion. After all, these sorts of things are not real.  Or are they?

Having only recently discovered the existence of Graziano he is now a personal favorite in a short space of time. He brings a high level of truth to his portrayal of Frank. It is his presence that keeps the viewer watching.

If there is any complaint about Delusion it would be the pacing. This may be done to echo the real process of dealing with loss. The film does drag on a bit.

It is an interesting look at one man’s struggle to deal with his wife’s death.  We get the impression at the start that Frank has been doing very well. The letter from his dead wife changes all that.

The Verdict

Delusion is a solid 3.5 star film.   Quicker pacing would have been a plus. Also, the wooden acting of some of the supporting actors hurts the film. Resolving these two things would have resulted in a full 5 star rating. That said, the storyline and Graziano make the film work as does Di Nunzio’s firm directing and crisp editing.

The film is available to stream on Tubi and Plex.

The Trailer