The Cinematheque

Renowned Montreal photographers Carlos Sanchez and Jason Sanchez’s foray into cinema has striking dramatic pull and career-high performances from Evan Rachel Wood and Vancouver’s Julia Sarah Stone (Wet Bum, Weirdos). One day on the job, Laura (Wood), a house cleaner with serious emotional issues, meets Eva (Stone), a quiet 16-year-old frustrated with her disciplined life. In Eva, Laura rediscovers an innocent tenderness; in Laura, Eva finds a thrilling rebel who can take her into unknown territory. As mutual attraction morphs into obsession, Laura convinces Eva to run away from home, perilously raising the stakes for the impressionable teen as Laura’s emotional instability becomes increasingly clear. Allure (formerly titled A Worthy Companion) is a stunning psychological thriller—a tale of power dynamics that is heightened by the characters’ seemingly prosaic quest for normalcy. —Magali Simard, TIFF