“Because they’re brothers! Identical brothers all the way!”
Numerous times in the past I have referred to certain films and their plots as being in the vein of Rod Serling, the mastermind writer who pioneered the science fiction/fantasy tale and took it to unimaginable heights. The beauty of Serling was how he was able to take the most novel of ideas, create a world around them and then take great care to focus on the effects of said world on the individuals at the center of it. The results oftentimes saw Serling churning out some of the most deft character studies every created. Most of the buzz surrounding the release of the new sci-fi indie Jonathan has more to do with the fact that it stars a popular actor still riding the wave of acclaim and success from his star-making movie and how he performs in this follow-up. Yet at its heart, the film is perhaps one of the closest sci-fi tales to come along since the days of Serling that touches on both the fantastic and the human in the most hypnotic of ways.
Jonathan stars Ansel Elgort as the title character, or characters. Born with a rare medical condition, Jonathan is one of two brothers who is forced to share his body with his sibling. While Jonathan lives and functions throughout the day between the hours of 7am-7pm, “Jon” (also Elgort)exists from 7pm-7am, with each leaving video messages for the other as a way of communicating. The brothers are watched over by Dr. Mina Nariman (Patricia Clarkson), and by all accounts, life is good. However, when Johnathan discovers Jon has fallen in love with a local bartender Elena (Suki Waterhouse), the bond between them begins to be tested.
It’s easy to appreciate the logistics of Jonathan as well as the way it methodically goes about the business setting up its premise. We see Jonathan’s daily routine of order, tranquility and control; all of which are done both because of the way he’s wired but also to ensure that the life he and his brother lead is one of normalcy and safety. It’s not just the carefully constructed world Jonathan’s made for him and Jon that are on display, but also the loneliness and attachment the former carries with him in regards to never being able to truly know the latter; the one person who has been the most important element in his life. The fact that we only ever see Jon through the pre-recorded video messages he leaves for his brother adds a slight air of suspense as we, like Jonathan, start to wonder about the life he’s leading that we aren’t seeing. Seeing the effect this has on Jonathan is where the movie’s engine lies. Not only does it force him to piece together his brother’s actions and whereabouts (an act that’s heightened when Jon stops leaving messages and all but disappears), but forces him to break away from the carefully constructed world he has taken great pains to shield both of them in.
As original as Jonathan tries to be (and largely is), it cannot help but fall victim certain narrative problems. The biggest of these is the somewhat unnecessary presence of Elena who seems to exist solely to provide a love triangle aspect to the story, driving something of a wedge between the two brothers. Besides being given virtually no characterization whatsoever, all scenes featuring Elena stall Jonathan, keeping it, and the film’s hero, from discovering the new world he must now learn to navigate. Even when the Elena is subplot is abandoned, the film wanders a bit in the final act as Jonathan further tries to salvage whatever relationship he still has with Jon. Although there’s a sense that the movie doesn’t know where to go at this point, Jonathan remains true to its main character’s journey. Each place Jon’s disappearance takes Jonathan to provides another realization of the notion that his brother is a real person capable of a life that’s all his own and an existence where he’s allowed to enjoy no influence from anyone. It’s a realization that leads to an earnest poignancy which makes Jonathan evolve into a film which explores that sacrifices made for the love of family.
Elgort is tremendous in a role that forces him to essentially act opposite himself, which he more than soars at. Watching him guide Jonathan through the puzzle his life has now become is the kind of empathetic journey only certain actors can accomplish. It’s also a testament to the actor’s skills that he’s able to credibly bring both characters to life through subtle, yet distinctive traits. Waterhouse sinks in most of her scenes, but that’s only because her character is so underwritten, it’s almost unplayable. Clarkson however almost emerges as the film’s heavy hitter, doing the kind of solid work one would expect from her. A late in the game monologue has the actress revealing how taking care of Jonathan and Jon has changed her.
I’m sorry that a story as innovative and involving as Jonathan isn’t getting a wider release; but I can also see why that is. This is a film made with a delicate hand more interested in talking about the characters on the screen than focusing on the mechanics of the plot. Because of this, it’s inevitable that Jonathan may come across as a little too slow-paced for some. The best way to describe the film is by calling it “quiet sci-fi,” where the heightened reality of the world on the screen comes second to the figures who exist within it. Any form of sci-fi is always at its best when it manages to challenge notions and ideas about both the present and the future. Yet films like Jonathan prove sci-fi is never more at its best and most powerful than when it’s able to dissect those worlds and find the humanity within them.
