The Mezzotint

"By virtue of all that is reasonable, Nisbet, this is a rank impossibility." 

I somehow missed this last year, so I'm watching and blogging it when it's still the season, sort of. This is, of course, magnificent. Horror via existential dread. The pacing is magnificent and Rory Kinnear, as ever, gives a superb performance.

I've yet to read any M.R.James, I've just seen the adaptations. But there's so much going on here, beyond the idea of a picture changing whenever it's observed which may have influenced one Steven Moffat. But it's far more existential and far more gothic than that: this is M.R. James. Williams is a man of his time, yes, but he's nice enough- friendly, amiable to his housekeeper, harmless. Alas, as he discovers, he is the last of his line and thus inexorably doomed. There's nothing he can do. The moving figure in the mezzotint exists to doom him and him alone.

This is creepy, gothic, existentially dreadful. In short, full of Christmas cheer.What's not to love? Happy New Year, all. Now we are back to normal it's back to The Day of the Triffids and Better Call Saul, plus films, and I'll be starting She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.