From the start, you can tell that this is set in s Germany. The sets, decoration and costumes all let you know when you are. Quickly, small cracks in their family unit are shown, similar to their home. Her mother Freya Kreutzkam is just able to capture childlike experiences when playing with Stephanie, but is actually incapable of carrying out adult functions and is often bed-ridden. Her Father Bernd Wolf seems lovably cantankerous at first, but is quickly shown to be angry and withdrawn, overall.
We watch the family devolve and see more and more of the unpleasantness of their living conditions over the first half of the film. There are occasional moments of niceness, but they are often overtaken by the reality of their situation.
The father is barely hanging on, handling most of the adult work that needs to be done around the home with little time to emotionally support anyone else. At almost exactly the halfway point, the mood of the film eases from a depressing drama into an eerier vibe. Next, the mother is reading the story of Hansel and Gretel to Stephanie, with all the classic gory themes included.
She refuses to throw away any of the, rather extensive, clutter around the house. There are a number of scenes that show just how much the family and their home have devolved.
Along with these, when Stephanie is alone her behavior becomes more and more concerning. By the end, the film is fully into the horror genre. Time of Moulting is a slow burn, for sure, but I think its overall presentation and payoff are well worth its perfectly concise run time of 81 minutes. Newer Older.
