Dark Horse

Romance blooms between two thirty-somethings in arrested development: an avid toy collector and a woman who is the dark horse of her family.
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Todd Solondz creates an intimate dark comedy about a manchild whose desire for a romantic relationship runs smack into reality.

Comedy | Mental Health | Romance | Family Relations
Programmer's Note

On the heels of 2009’s perversely comic and formally inventive Life During Wartime, Todd Solondz crafts yet another searing portrayal of middle-class malaise with Dark Horse — the title of which befits its creator.

Hearkening back to his breakout feature Welcome to the Dollhouse, Solondz’s latest sets its sights on one unfortunate soul as opposed to an ensemble. Abe (Jordan Gelber) is a thirty-something lout content to live in his childhood bedroom that’s still adorned with action figures and Simpsons memorabilia. A hopeless man-child, he’s oblivious to his severely arrested development and incapacity to function in the adult world. He works halfheartedly for his father (Christopher Walken), but spends most of his time scouring eBay for high-priced vintage toys. Abe’s only allies are his over-protective mother (Mia Farrow) and his father’s secretary (Mary Joy), who willingly completes his tardy workload and appears frequently in his recurring hallucinations.

Following an incredibly awkward first date at a Jewish wedding with a young woman named Miranda (Selma Blair, re-teaming with Solondz after her brief but memorable role in Storytelling), Abe continues to pursue his new lady friend despite an obvious lack of mutual interest. His persistence pays off when she agrees to go on another date and, even more miraculously, accepts his out-of-the-blue marriage proposal. But just as things are beginning to come together for Abe, Miranda lets him in on a little secret and his life quickly spirals out of control.

Unlike Life During Wartime and his earlier feature Palindromes, Dark Horse doesn’t contain any of Solondz’s pre-existing characters. The film’s surprising roster of actors prove a perfect match for the director’s skewed sensibility, adding vitality to his signature style and tone. Solondz’s observations on contemporary American life and culture remain as deadpan-brutal as ever. Yet with its humour and lack of explicitly unsettling content, Dark Horse feels much more accessible than the cult director’s caustic past efforts.
Jane Schoettle
Director's Bio

Todd Solondz was born in Newark, New Jersey. His award-winning feature films include Welcome to the Dollhouse (95), Happiness (98), Storytelling (01), Palindromes (04) and Life During Wartime (09), many of which played at the Festival. Dark Horse (11) is his latest feature.