Watch Mosquito State

Mosquito State is a psychological thriller film directed by Filip Jan Rymsza that was released on July 26, 2020. The movie tells the story of Richard Boca (Beau Knapp), a Wall Street quantitative analyst who suffers from a neurological condition that causes him to have seizures, and brings together Mosquito imagery with financial apocalypse. The movie is set in a pre-9/11 New York City, and tells the story of the insect infestation that plagues Richard Boca's opulent Manhattan apartment, and how this symbolic bug invasion soon leads to Richard's own psychological downfall.

Richard is a highly intelligent but emotionally stunted young man who works at a major investment banking firm. He is known for his brilliance and his fast thinking, but is also rather socially awkward and has very few interpersonal attachments. This is until he meets his new neighbor, the beautiful and enigmatic cocktail waitress Lina (Charlotte Vega), who is a keen observer of the natural world, and who initiates in him an obsession with the world of insects.

Soon, Richard becomes obsessed with these tiny creatures, spending hours watching them and studying them in his sparse, sterile apartment. He also begins to see them as a metaphor for the financial markets, and as the world around him begins to crumble (including the collapse of his own firm in the 2001 economic downturn), his fixation on the mosquitoes and his belief that they are somehow connected to the collapse of the world around him grows more and more intense. The financial apocalypse that is happening outside is mirrored in his own mind by the invasion of mosquitoes in his apartment, and he becomes convinced that there is a link between these two apocalyptic events.

Richard's obsession with the mosquitoes also ties into his own escalating physical symptoms, as he experiences more frequent and violent seizures, and his mind becomes more and more fragmented. He is also haunted by visions of a vast, underground colony of mosquitoes, which he believes he can somehow access and control with his computer models.

As Richard's world collapses further and deeper into his own obsession, he begins to alienate everyone around him, including his coworkers, his boss, and Lina herself. His only real confidant is a former employee of the firm, Christophe (Jack Kesy), who is now living in his apartment as a renter, and who is also somewhat of a conspiracy theorist. Together, they cook up wild schemes and theories, including possible bioterrorism attacks on the city, and try to make sense of the world around them.

The movie's visuals are stunning, with Rymsza creating a eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere that perfectly matches Richard's psychological state. The film's use of insect imagery is also incredibly effective, as it ties into broader themes of financial interconnectedness, as well as Richard's own disintegrating mind. The performances are all solid, with Beau Knapp giving an outstanding portrayal of a man whose mind is slowly unraveling.

The movie's narrative is often ambiguous, leaving it open to interpretation as to what exactly is happening to Richard, and how much of his obviously delusional thoughts reflect the reality around him. While the movie's ending may be divisive, Mosquito State is an intense, eerie, and beautifully shot look at one man's descent into madness.

Overall, Mosquito State is an incredibly well-crafted psychological thriller that offers a disturbing look at the ways in which obsession and paranoia can consume a person's mind. With its stunning visual aesthetics, striking insect imagery, and solid performances, this movie is a must-see for fans of this sub-genre.

Mosquito State is a 2021 thriller. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.1 and a MetaScore of 56.