Frequencies, also known as OXV: The Manual is a 2013 independent British sci-fi philosophical romance film directed and written by Darren Paul Fisher. The film stars Daniel Fraser, Eleanor Wyld, and Owen Pugh. The film takes place in an unspecified world where human worth and emotional connections are determined by set "frequencies."
Frequencies provides examples of...
- Born Lucky: Due to Marie's mega-high frequencies, fate literally bends to her favor.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Theo. Zak's seemingly insignificant friend turns out to have knowledge that can threaten the existence of their world as they know it, as well as the power to thwart the entire plot.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: The plot revolves around Zak's attempts to win over emotionless Marie. Ultimately subverted, since Marie truly cannot experience emotions, but they decide to continue their relationship anyway.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: Zak's unassuming childhood friend Theo has discovered the key to human fate, if nothing else potentially orchestrating the entire events of the film.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Zak dedicates his entire life to trying to win over Marie, a process hindered by Marie's lack of emotions and both societal and physical inability.
- Emotion Control: The words Zak initially believes only raise his frequency actually are tools of mind control, and are imposing Marie's feelings of love and affection because he wants them to be there.
- Emotionless Girl: Marie. Literally.
- Fantastic Caste System: High Borns, those with high frequencies, are gifted intellectually and socio-economically. Low Borns, those with low frequency, are mundane, unlucky, considered to be unintelligent, and are often poor.
- Gainax Ending: The reveal that Theo, of all people, has discovered a mathematical equation derived from Mozart that proves fate and essentially frays the fabric of the universe, is utterly mind-boggling, deeply philosophical, and unquestionably confusing.
- Intelligence Equals Isolation: Directly invoked. In-Universe, the higher an individual's frequency, loosely linked to IQ, the lower their ability to emote and communicate. This makes them uninterested in social interaction, and others uninterested in socially interacting with them.
- Loners Are Freaks: Marie's inability to form relationships contributes the aura of eerie inhumanity about her.
- Mind Screw: The entire movie, frankly, but the ending, which has Theo revealing he has discovered a Mozart-derived equation that can both prove and alter fate, should suffice.
- Musical Trigger: The music of Mozart can alter fate and nullify frequencies, Theo discovers.
- No Social Skills: Marie has none, as a byproduct of having no emotions.
- Nobody Thinks It Will Work: Zak and Marie. Considering the nature is literally set upon separating them - small natural disasters occur when they touch - there's considerable justification for such doubt.
- Rejection Affection: Zak's persistent attempts to court Marie are hugely unsuccessful, but he remains undaunted.
- Rule of Romantic: Marie and Zak are implied to continue their relationship at the end of the film, despite Marie harboring no real feelings for him that weren't influenced by Zak's mind control, and being forced to forfeit her extreme luckiness by being in his presence. Yay, romance?
- Sliding Scale of Free Will vs. Fate: Lampshaded, and somehow all forms are both subverted and invoked. Justified since it's the entire question that the movie sets out to explore.
- Stalking is Love: Zak's ruthless pursuit of Marie is intended to be romantic, but it borders on creepy, particularly since their eventual romance is revealed to be contrived by mind-control. To be fair, Zak didn't know exactly what he was doing. But still...
- Stepford Smiler: Marie smiles frequently, because she recognizes other people doing it and feels that she's supposed to. It comes across as a forced grimace.
- Straw Vulcan: Marie has a genius intellect and luck bends in her favor, but her greatest desire is to feel love.
- Trigger Phrase: Zak discovers that certain words have the effect of raising a frequency, but it turns out that they're really words that induce mind control.
- What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Marie, effectively robotic, has never felt love. It's the only thing she has never been able to attain, and it's her greatest source of curiosity.
