BFI Flare 2021

The Dose review – ghostly thriller wastes an interesting premise

A nurse suspects the motives of his charismatic new colleague in a dull hospital drama that fails to cash in on its leads' chemistry

Deep within the pallid walls of a private clinic, ICU nurse Marcos (Carlos Portaluppi) harbours a dark secret: he puts an end to the suffering of terminally ill patients via euthanasia. For years, this self-appointed angel of death has been able to carry out his seemingly altruistic crimes with no interruption. That all changes with the sudden arrival of new nurse Gabriel (Ignacio Rogers). Gabriel, it turns out, has a similar secret, but with far more sinister intentions.

Perturbed by the recent addition to the workforce, it's Marcos’ sanity that begins to spiral in Martín Kraut’s psychological thriller The Dose. Gabriel is handsome and charming, effortlessly socialising with the other nurses and departments – something that loner Marcos has always found difficult. Gabriel drip feeds his way into Marcos’ life: firstly by unexpectedly appearing round every corner, and later by coercing him into sharing rides into work. Moments where they are apart become suffocatingly infrequent. Despite his sinister aura, Gabriel has a sensuality to him that Marcos cannot ignore – between these two men, even the sutures used to mend injured fingers come with a sexual charge.

The Dose is not exactly a supernatural horror, but a certain ghostliness presides over the entirety of the film; the camera lingers on empty spaces as if in anticipation of a hidden presence, while characters' shadows and shapes reflect in windows and polished medical machinery, creating uncanny doubles. Accompanied by frantic orchestral strings to emphasise the wildly unsettling tone of its tensest moments, The Dose sets itself up as a promising queer thriller. Except, it never delivers.

Maintaining one mood throughout, this middling psychological drama fails to excite and quickly comes to feel like a drag. Armed with all the elements to go all out and shock with clever twists and turns, the film – overlong at just 93 minutes – settles on tired narrative conventions and a story that seems intent on playing by the book. The most shocking thing is how anti-climatic it all is.

The excellent chemistry between Portaluppi and Rogers – who both offer chilling performances – ultimately goes to waste, their cat and mouse game never reaching its full, disturbing potential. It isn't long before The Dose leaves you wishing someone like Marcos would come along to put you out of your misery.

The Dose was screened as part of the BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival 2021. A UK release date is yet to be announced.

Where to watch

More Reviews...

The Innocent review – 60s-inspired heist movie with an existential twist

In his fourth feature film, writer-director Louis Garrel explores with wit and tenderness the risk and worth of second chances

Baato review – Nepal’s past and future collide in an immersive, fraught documentary

A mountain trek intertwines with a road-building project, granting incisive, if underpowered, insight into a much underseen world

The Beanie Bubble review – a grim new low for the “corporate biopic” genre

With none of the saving graces of Tetris, Air, or Barbie, this ambition-free look at the Beanie Baby craze is pure mediocrity

Everybody Loves Jeanne review – thoroughly modern fable of grief, romantic confusion, and climate anxiety

Celine Deveaux's French-Portuguese debut can be too quirky for its own good, but a fantastically written lead character keeps it afloat

Features

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Little Women to Sergio Leone

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Coppola to Cross of Iron

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital

20 Best Films of 2023 (So Far)

With the year at the halfway point, our writers choose their favourite films, from daring documentaries to box office bombs

Repertory Rundown: What to Watch in London This Week, From Mistress America to The Man Who Wasn’t There

From classics to cult favourites, our team highlight some of the best one-off screenings and re-releases showing this week in the capital