itch.io

Pliz Help (Given the film's Weimar setting, I can only assume Pliz is a misspelling of the German word for mushroom, Pilz) is a bold foray by Adam Driver into the world of screenplay. It is clear that he has truly embraced the genre of the art film, but having only one character does work better if one does not kill them off only a little over halfway through the film's gargantuan five hour runtime. Driver's script starts off strong, with imagery that calls into question what a mushroom cloud may have meant to someone living before the invention of nuclear weaponry and also begins to explore themes of inner spirituality, but proceeds to throw the small, personal narrative world it has created away with the appearance of the mushroom god and her angels, upset at what will soon be done with her image. Ultimately, the ending manages to leave the viewer unsatisfied but with nothing to think about. I give Pliz Help two stars.