4 Out of 5 Stars
As far as the biggest surprise of the Philadelphia Film Fest for me personally, that has to go to Personal Shopper a film I had heard was very divisive when it screened at Cannes. While the film itself divided most, one thing everyone could agree on was Kristen Stewart’s performance. Having seen most of her other work, including the Twilight Saga, I have to admit I’ve never warmed up to her. But given the revelation of this film I have to agree that Olivier Assayas may have unlocked this young actor’s true potential giving one of her best performances to date, in a horror film no less.

Personal Shopper stars Kristen Stewart as Maureen a young American in Paris who also happens to be a spiritual medium. After the passing of her twin brother she’s come to the city because of a pact they had, if one died they would let the other know if there was something on the other side. While in the city she’s taken a gig as a personal shopper for Kira a celebrity who’s probably best described as a hot mess. In between traveling across Europe picking up designer dresses and jewelry for Kira’s next photo opp, Maureen is spending her days off in the house her brother died in trying to unlock the secrets of the afterlife.


Personal Shopper is Stewart’s second film with Olivier Assayas who’s Clouds of Sils Maria is responsible for giving the actor a new life after the Twilight Saga. Stewart’s turn here as Maureen instantly won me over, taking a page from Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander in her approach as a character who can see ghosts and knows something is there, but simply can not succumb to her own cynicism. It’s that struggle for an absolute truth, that drives Maureen through a film that at times could possibly could be a bit too ambiguous for the casual filmgoer. The film instead leaves a series of breadcrumbs for the viewer who is responsible for keeping up as the film casually omits exposition at its own convenience.

Personally in a time where we have such repetition in films when it comes to plot points and overall narrative it’s refreshing to just take it all in dissecting each piece to see where it fits. Personal Shopper is a real joy to watch unfold as the mysteries before Maureen present themselves and the viewer starts to connect the dots in her investigation. While the film’s unconventional approach to its climax may turn some away, Olivier Assayas has given us genre fans something truly different in the film’s eclectic mix of horror and thriller. At the center of this story its Kristen Stewart’s engaging performance, which really elevates this film, bringing a very human touch to this unconventional story of the afterlife.