The film “The Sparrow in the Chimney” opens with a portrayal of an idealized country life. The scene is set in a large, rustic farmhouse kitchen, bathed in afternoon sunlight streaming through oversized windows that function as French doors, revealing verdant, sunlit lawns and hazy woodlands beyond.
A regal ginger cat slips through the window as the sounds of birds and insects blend with the indoor ambiance, while a casserole gently simmers on the stove. This serene backdrop, however, contrasts sharply with the dark, intricate drama that reveals in Ramon and Silvan Zürcher’s domestic horror film.
The Zürcher twins, who co-direct and share a “film by” credit, dive deep into the challenges of family dynamics over a weekend gathering, combining a relentlessly warm setting with a chilling, detached narrative style.
Their previous works, “The Strange Little Cat” and “The Girl and the Spider,” similarly explored unsettling domestic themes. “The Sparrow in the Chimney,” the third entry in their “animal trilogy,” enhances the dramatic tension with a richer narrative and a blend of melodrama and intensity that might attract a wider arthouse audience.
In this trilogy, the animal theme plays an important role. The intrusion of nature into human life in “The Sparrow in the Chimney” reflects a shift from societal norms to raw instincts. The film starts with a sparrow trapped in a fireplace at Karen’s (Maren Eggert) childhood home, with the bird’s release by her son Leon (Ilja Bultmann) symbolizing a rare escape from the inevitable chaos to follow.
Karen’s constant tension is evident from the start, marked by her struggle to connect emotionally with her family. When her sister Jule (Britta Hammelstein) arrives with her family, Karen’s difficulty in showing affection is apparent.
The tension escalates with the arrival of her daughter Christina (Paula Schindler) and the hostility of her teenage daughter Johanna (Lea Zoe Voss), who directs her anger towards Karen and influences her younger brother Leon.
The family gathering, initially meant to celebrate Markus’s (Andreas Döhler) birthday, is complicated by his secret affair with Liv (Luise Heyer), a dog walker with a troubled past, adding layers of unresolved conflict and tension.
The script, penned by Zürcher, weaves together past secrets and present confrontations with Eggert’s performance as the emotionally detached matriarch anchoring the story. The ensemble cast effectively navigates the film’s shifting tones, combining dark humor with poignant moments, such as Christina’s touching connection with Leon.
“The Sparrow in the Chimney” presents a dynamic mix of intense drama and sophisticated filmmaking. The interplay between the film’s polished visuals and the characters’ emotional struggles, coupled with an intricate sound design that blends human and natural sounds, enhances the film’s overall impact. The encroachment of cormorants on a nearby lake reflects the impending dissolution of the family’s tenuous stability.