Film Diaries

September 14, 2024

Home, otherwise known as our sanctuary, dwelling or abode. We may remember different homes throughout our lifetimes, or perhaps you were in the same home for a long time. Premonition (2007) is an American supernatural psychological thriller directed by Mennan Yapo, and starring Sandra Bullock in the lead role as Linda Hanson, Julian McMahon, Nia Long, and Amber Valletta.

Sandra Bullock plays Linda Hanson, leading an elysian lifestyle with her husband, Jim Hanson, (played by Julian McMahon) and two young girls. One day arrives when Linda receives the terrible news that her Husband was declared dead at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. The moment that she stands in the doorway with the officer seems almost like they are frozen in time. There is an eerie silence that seems to be pregnant with confusion, stuck between nothing and everything. Stillness remains thick in the air, Linda with a facial expression of a numb creature. The viewer can already feel the tension that is in her mind. Silence can be both enraging and melancholic. As the film begins to unravel, the scenes are intertwined between the past, present and future. Pictures, memories, thoughts all displayed with a shining halo of warmth, depicting the softness and angelic life that was led up until this point. The viewer may see the progression of their relationship but there are also visible gaps that create questions.

The gaps in the film are able to present a variety of ideologies. Take the mundane practice of the same schedule every day. With Linda Hanson, not only had she adopted a peace within her everyday life but she was triggered by the way that it all came about. If we consider the possibility of an event occurring, waking up the next day and finding that this was maybe a dream, a nightmare in fact, causing you to question everything, it can only lead to turmoil in the home. the concept of reigniting romance also hits the belt with the entire plot of this film. The moment that Linda wakes up and realizes she was sleeping, she saw that her husband was in the kitchen, eating breakfast, leaving her quite stricken with fear and confusion. Her husband displayed some concern, but there was no explanation from Linda. We can’t blame that in the moment, you do not want to share such an atrocious idea. That she dreamt he was gone. The audience can then notice that this couple is clearly strained, potentially distant, and therefore this whole “dream” is equally disconcerting.

 Linda is stuck between a dreamlike state that relives the same event and trying to make sense of it all. Soon, she is able to create a weekly calendar which outlines how her dreams—now considered futuristic in nature—are premonitions. As humans, we live in the natural world with what we can see, feel and touch. All the sensations of the world get lost in translation when we begin to dive deeper into our thoughts. For Linda, she merely trapped leading her to not only understand the premonitions but piece them together one by one.

Premonitions are linked to the supernatural. Linda opened herself to possibilities that seemed beyond her control. This became an immersive experience that manifested in her mind, leading her to moment of no return. We all make choices, whether we want to or not. Our choices make all the difference. One could argue that Linda had many choices, some may say she had only one. In the end, the outcome was still the same. When death knocks on the door, there must be someone to answer it.