Do Not Disturb, written and directed by John Ainslie, lulls you into relaxing with its opening, but the film is wild. Playing at Screamfest, the movie reminds me of candy with a sweet outer shell before you get to that bitter center. Frightening moments with occasional wtf comedic moments, Do Not Disturb leaves you laughing as you try to sear the images from memory. The movie reminds me of Audition; enjoyable, but will never rewatch because it is too disturbing. 

The opening tricks you, looking like a relaxing vacation in the sun. Within a short while, it is clear that it is not all paradise for newlyweds Chloe (Kimberly Laferriere) and Jack (Rogan Christopher). Although recently married, they have years under their belt as a couple. The arguments are the usual fare in a relationship; one person wants to party while the other wants to settle down and start a family. Jack loses control when he parties and does drugs; though he agrees to change, circumstances make him a liar. A man, high as a kite, at the beach rants at them, empties his pockets then walks into the sea. 

Jack grabs the drugs, planning to sell them for money but then pressures Chloe to take what they think is peyote with him. After some back and forth, Chloe agrees and what follows is a terrifying loss of control. While some people do that, it is mindblowing how someone can witness someone walk into the ocean high on drugs, not come back out and think, “that’s a drug I want to try.” Chloe uses those points to argue against the drugs but agrees due to fear of losing Jack. Once eaten, the situation changes. 

Chloe and Jack’s personalities do an about-face, which is ironic. Chloe goes from sad and upset to angry and combative, while Jack becomes sensitive—even clingy. They present an appearance to the world and each other, but now they seem free. But also destructive, especially Chloe. Why they keep taking drugs is beyond me, but perhaps they feel and crave that sense of freedom. They have to sober up sooner or later. 
The acting between the couple is incredible. Mind you, most of the scenes are Kimberly Laferriere and Rogan Christopher, talking, crying, or freaking out. Yet, thanks to their performances, Do Not Disturb holds your focus—mainly because you are waiting to see how far they will go on the drugs. Some moments brought to mind Acacia, another challenging film to sit through. Do Not Disturb brings relationship hell to the forefront in this film that has emotions and feelings in extremes. In relationships, people lose themselves in each other, but here it feels literal. When people break up, sometimes the character seems to change, but all that happens is the person is free from the others’ toxic radius. The cast delivers a memorable film, thanks to John Ainslie, who handles the graphic scenes and comedic ones equally well. Do Not Disturb makes your mouth drop and forces laughter, but whether that is humor or discomfort is anyone’s guess.