‘A Formal Schizophrenia’ Defines, and Detracts From, a New Thriller, ‘The Other Laurens’
As much as director Claude Schmitz esteems Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa, he was also weaned on ‘a whole corpus of Reagan films that conveyed simplistic and caricatured narrative schemes.’

Claude Schmitz’s new thriller, “The Other Laurens,” is cloistered in tone and adamant about it. Nothing is right in this threnody about the bonds of family. Forget the story that unfolds in a little under two hours: Take into account the overriding air of exhaustion and muffled sense of balance. Thomas Turine’s soundtrack iterates as much, beginning, as it does, with a flourish worthy of a spookhouse organ. Mr. Turine’s subsequent contributions don’t backtrack on this kitschy inflection.
Please check your email.
A verification code has been sent to
Didn't get a code? Click to resend.
To continue reading, please select:
Enter your email to read for FREE
Get 1 FREE article
Join the Sun for a PENNY A DAY
$0.01/day for 60 days
Cancel anytime
100% ad free experience
Unlimited article and commenting access
Full annual dues ($120) billed after 60 days