At first it's difficult to gauge exactly what The Harvest is intending to be. With an ominous title like that there's almost certainly something twisted going on, but the film is wrapped in a veil of childlike innocence that is, at least for a time, somewhat comforting. That clashing of tones was once the calling card of director John McNaughton, whose 1998 sleaze-comedy Wild Things remains a cult favorite for those who love trashy erotica (like yours truly). The Harvest has nothing quite as memorable as Neve Campbell and Denise Richards making out in a swimming pool, but it does feature a twisted caretaker performance by Samantha Morton that ranks up there with Kathy Bates in Misery.
The film starts off like it may be this year's The Fault in Our Stars. Andy (Charlie Tahan) is a sickly child suffering from a disease that has him relegated to either his bed or a wheelchair at all times. Michael Shannon goes against type as Andy's henpecked father, Richard, a former nurse who has agreed to stay home and watch over his son. Bringing home the bacon is Andy's mother, Katherine (Morton), a doctor with an overprotective streak a mile long. The arrangement has begun to take a toll on the marriage as Richard is brow-beaten from pillar to post by Katherine's cruel insults. It's weird to see Shannon in a role where he isn't the alpha male, but it makes every scene he's in more interesting as a result.
While one could understand why Katherine would want to keep her son safe, the extent she shelters the boy begins to look like something other than motherly concern. When a young neighbor girl named Maryann (Natasha Calis) moves in nearby and becomes friends with Andy after peering in his window, Katherine treats the girl like dirt. She won't stand for him to have any friends at all, much less the stubborn Maryann who won't stop coming by to play video games or to toss the baseball around.
So what's the big deal? Why is Katherine acting so nuts? What's up with Richard and when will he get his balls back? Will he get his balls back? It's Michael Shannon so he HAS to, doesn't he? Something's not right, and screenwriter Stephen Lancellotti does a good job of keeping us in the dark to the actual level of insanity going on beneath the surface. It's a delicate tightrope he and McNaughton are walking, because to give away too much of the mystery too soon and the whole thing unravels. Play the tone just a shade too crazy and the eventual twist, which proves to be more disturbing than many will expect, will be too easy to figure out. It helps that all of the actors play their roles just right. Morton has always had one of the most caring, trustworthy faces in the business (see her in In America and you'll love her forever) but you'll never look at it the same way again after this. She's tremendous here, even when called to go over-the-top bonkers there's still a vulnerability to her performance. Shannon has never played a character like this but you'd never know it. And even the child actors hold up well against their more-experienced co-stars.The Harvest is as subtle as it is completely off the friggin' rails. It has something to say about our traditional notions of parental roles, and the strain a child's illness can put on a marriage. But ultimately, when all is said and done, The Harvest is simply a devilishly fun thriller. Welcome back, John McNaughton. Hope you stick around for awhile.
Rating: 4 out of 5
