PERSONA
Director Mike Ho and screenwriter Blyth Kemp deliver a chaotic bullet train of panic and blurry flashes with PERSONA. Two trapped women with vastly different outlooks must come together to survive the isolated cabin of a serial killer. As each spirals in and out of manic episodes, the other counters her with brave calm. They must work together to survive the unthinkable.
Sophia Ali is Sam, a fiery, take no shit woman whose severe injury and unresolved trauma threaten to end her fight. Ali nails every beat. You are rooting for her every second she is on screen.
Shanti Lowry gives Tricia a hopeful nature. Underneath is a mess of cryptic hallucinations and garbled memories. Lowry moves through the character with grace amongst the unpredictable.
There is one performance that blows the viewer away. Andrew Howard is unforgettable in a purely schizophrenic, award-worthy turn.
Ho’s editing is quick and clever. Some of the most effective moments come as the women imagine rescue scenarios for better or worse. PERSONA taps into every true-crime-obsessed female fear. It’s like some demented practice run for very real circumstances. The film boasts an explosive final act. This pulse-pounding, dark ending is worth the wait.
PERSONA Trailer:
SHANTI LOWRY & SOPHIA ALI STAR IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER PERSONA
AVAILABLE ON DIGITAL/ON-DEMAND DECEMBER 3RD, 2024
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Lila Schmitz brings audiences the magic of West Ireland through the melodies of the locals and the emotional pull of a tune. THE JOB OF SONGS is a toe-tapping, viscerally joyous film. 
The clever dialogue juxtaposes the fragility of animals in captivity as Matt assigns an animal to each human prisoner. The underlying theme of Matt’s bullying slyly mirrors the psychological torture of animals and the imprisonment of his captives.
Nicholas Michael McGovern delivers a mesmerizing performance through narration and chilling direct-to-camera fourth wall breaks. His steady voice soothes the audience. It is melodic and informative, making his intentions more frightening. He is magnificent. 
The unit set lends itself to a stage play. I would pay good money to witness this on Broadway. It’s immersive enough to captivate a live audience even more. LIBERTY could be a unique opportunity for Gravitas to enter the theatre world. If I were producing a screen-to-stage adaptation, I would edit live audience reactions during each performance, creating a curated, visceral experience for each ticket holder. 
Philippe De Witte‘s clever allegory about animal rights takes the audience on an unexpected moral journey. Akin to the strangling anxiety of Saw without the gore, LIBERTY is a one-of-a-kind entry into the psychological horror/ environmental thriller subgenre. LIBERTY is dark and daring. It is an emotional roller coaster that twists and turns, loops and lurches with a quiet, raw intensity. De Witte unlocks a primal fear surrounded by poetic madness. You are not ready for this film.
Once she finds Jackson, Marge discovers he has been spending his days surfing, coaching, and drinking himself into oblivion. He is in no shape to bring Marge into his life. Undeterred, Marge makes him pinky promise to do better. As they fumble toward reconciliation, Marge learns to be bolder, braver, and more self-accepting.
The women’s fútbol team overflows with cheeky personalities. These girls are great foils for Marge’s insecure nature. Jess Gabor is fantastic as Marge. She is natural, sarcastic, and vulnerable. Steve Zahn never disappoints. His comedic self-defense mechanisms pair well with the well-intended fatherly guidance. At the heart of it, Jackson is a damaged but kind soul. Zahn embraces his flaws, making him human and accessible. Together, they are easy to watch.
Waving the logistical fact that a minor would never be allowed to cross the border without a passport or note from their parents, GRINGA tells the story of two lost souls growing together. The script tackles body dysmorphia, eating disorders, culture, alcoholism, grief, and unresolved emotional trauma. In the end, GRINGA is a charming coming-of-age story for both father and daughter.
Despite the length of the contest, we learn very little about most of the contestants. This is the rare film I actually wished was a mini-series. Kyle (Joe Cole) serves as the audience’s main proxy in the competition. Before the competition details surrounding Kyle are mostly superficial. Kyle works at a local fast-food restaurant, has a deaf brother, and is motivated to win the truck to provide for his wife and baby. Kyle begins to unravel as the contest drags on from hours into days.
The atmosphere surrounding the contest itself is beautifully realized. The imagery surrounding the laying of hands on the gleaming metal car feels explicitly religious. As the contest progresses, certain elements of the plot do begin to strain credibility. Kyle faces many rivals within the contest, but none of the build-ups leads to a satisfying payoff. A twist surrounding one character seems particularly far-fetched. A final coda has rich details but feels like it arrives too late.
Although the zombie makeup is not great, costumes and general makeup are thoughtfully aged and disheveled. Something that is usually a sticking point in low-budget apocalyptic films. I was equally impressed with the locations. It appears the filmmakers had a lot of options, and they used them to their advantage. Performances are strong all around. A large ancillary and featured extra cast makes for a more impressive final product.
While the drama is a touch overplayed, perhaps akin to a Lifetime drama hokeyness, that does not lessen the intriguing arc in a genre that is tricky to conquer with new ideas. So while we’ve seen the sentimental attachment aspect in the past, the surprising plot point surrounding the very badass Ellen Hillman was phenomenal. Alive‘s final reveal garnered an honest, approving nod from me. I applaud the passion and commitment of writer-director David Marantz. It undoubtedly has an audience.
First-time director Ric Maddox, alongside writers Sean Crampton and Jordan Wisely, brings the story of an elite ex-Navy seal with PTSD placed in a top-secret government rehabilitation program. Using criminal civilians as bait, can our soldier in question be saved? A twist on The Most Dangerous Game (1931) meets Universal Soldier (1992), THE STALKING FIELDS is an action-packed entry into a potential new franchise.
The dialogue has a uniquely poetic perspective at times but quickly becomes contrasted by innumerable F-bombs. I say this as a person who has a sailor’s mouth, and this felt excessive. The quick-take editing has all the horror genre elements. From the lighting to the angles, it is visually intriguing. I must applaud the creativity in location design. Besides the woods, the military behind the scenes could easily take place in a cleverly lit warehouse walled off entirely with plastic sheeting. That budget must have been astronomical. I have to hand it to the CG team for some legit graphics on each monitor. They had my eyes darting from screen to screen. Bravo for the detail.
A wow of a film, 
Rico Reid
The script possesses inklings of
Without spoiling anything, 
Catherine Keener is a mother mired in grief. As Claire, she looks for answers in Will, the only remaining connection to her son. The stages are all present in her weary tone of voice and mannerisms. The justifiable anger and emptiness become a shared experience through her. Charlie Heaton, as Will, sits on the fence of morality as a former addict wracked with survivor’s guilt. He carries the burden of past transgressions in his daily struggle to stay clean. Knowing that he’s hiding the truth from Claire eats at his soul. Heaton’s vulnerability will say shake you to your core. It’s award-worthy.
Larry Fessenden plays Former Attorney General Dan Lieberman. He’s a legend, so it’s no surprise that what is essentially equivalent to a radio play for him is an outstanding performance. Zachary Booth, as Jake, has fearless energy and an intoxicating excitement that passes through the screen to the viewer. I would watch him in anything.
Your pulse will be pounding watching this mystery unfold through live, minute-to-minute editing. If you didn’t respect the process of editing before now, 
Performances are top-notch. Greg Finley as Tommy manages to be both powerful and sympathetic all at once. There is a familiarity to his entire being that puts the audience at ease. Dylan Silver as Emma has an inspired tenacity that makes her a gorgeous foil for Finley. DOWNEAST could almost be considered an ensemble film. While the entire cast is incredibly solid, I feel compelled to mention one actor in particular. Kirk Fox‘s performance as Marty provides the much-needed levity to a heavy-handed storyline. He’s a star.
Downeast was produced by APS Films and directed by Joe Raffa, who wrote a script based on a story by Maine native Greg Finley. Finley produced alongside Cory Pyke. Edwin Pendleton Stevens served as executive producer.
Violet toils away curating her smaller comedy show all while taking the abuse of her boss, Bob. Taking back control is the name of the game, but things get a bit messy along the way. Bob Devore, whose name (I’m assuming) is intentionally close to the word “devour,” is the accomplished late-night figurehead on the comedy scene in L.A. He’s a real monster of a boss. No, like, he’s an actual monster. Under his thumb and in the shadow of his longstanding career, Violet longs to cut ties and make her own way. When love unexpectedly arrives, she must navigate everyone’s appetite for success and take matters into her own hands.
Low-budget creative genius. All hail Sean Kenealy and Eric Silvera, writers, directors, producers, and stars of IN ACTION. The dialogue is quippy and the chemistry is electric. The look of the film is truly impressive. Anything too elaborate to shoot is filled with super fun animation by Richard Walsh, close-ups, great sound effects, and sometimes just rudimentary home-movie style silliness. The overall setup of a sit-down interview is a fantastic premise. What essentially becomes a mixed media project forces you to not only pay attention but keep you completely engaged. Its sharp back and forth between visuals and over-the-top new dad/bro vibe is insane. Bravo to editor Billy Nawrocki. I cannot begin to imagine how long this film took to piece together. While this will hit harder with viewers of a certain age and stage for sure, it will undoubtedly tickle any film fan. The references on Eric and Sean’s t-shirts tell you everything you need to know about their baseline inspiration. These guys have no shame. Which, if we’re being honest, makes for great performances. The continuous gag about using foul language is laugh-out-loud funny. It’s not all dick jokes and movie clichés, we also get a nice takedown of toxic masculinity within the South Park-esque perverseness. It’s their commitment to every single moment of In Action that makes it relentlessly fun. Don’t get comfortable because 26 minutes in the script gets flipped. Can you imagine what this group of creatives could do with a large budget? As for In Action, it’s meta mayhem, movie magic. This is a labor of love made by honest-to-goodness fans. It’s an ode to indie filmmaking. Oh, makes sure you stay for the credits for some insider information. It’s worth it.
This stunningly gorgeous sci-fi film has so much potential. What drags it down is the amount of information we’re missing. A lot of the backstory is buried inside writer/director Nicholas Ashe Bateman’s mind. It’s juicy, no doubt. Uniquely told. It would be glorious as a stage play. There’s enough intrigue in The Wanting Mare to indeed sustain a series of films, as is the intention. The audience has to commit themselves to what they are given. It’s a lot of trust to put in the viewer. What is abundantly clear is that there is a cyclical nature to the female characters and that these elusive tickets put a target on your back. This script is filled with people lying to each other, either to protect someone or keep them from leaving. It’s an interesting concept. The horses are treated similarly to unicorns in Legend. A commodity, yes, but also they must be protected at all costs.
Performances, across the board, are excellent. While there are a lot of characters to track, there is not a single actor who lets you down. Each beat is curated. This cast left it all on the screen. 
Rarely do I stop a screening link every 5 to ten minutes and reiterate what is happening out loud to my husband. While viewing Alex Knapp‘s post-apocalyptic psychological thriller GO/DON’T GO, I did just that. I was so intrigued I had to share all of the subtle genius happening on screen from beat to beat, sometimes blink-and-you-miss-it imagery. The meticulous thought that went into this script is noteworthy. The breadcrumbs are laid out to entice your imagination with theories. Here is what I can glean from what I saw, stay with me; Agam and K are dating, an unknown world event happens, in a panic, they try to make their way to the mountains to better assess the situation. Something goes awry and K disappears, leaving Adam as the sole human left on Earth. What we and Adam are left with is to piece together disjointed information to try and escape what feels like a little bit of a purgatory-esque version of Memento. Yup. Until the final image, I wracked my brain as to the innumerable possibilities that this story presented me. Was Adam in hell? Was Adam in a parallel timeline? Was Adam insane? Is this an allegory for grief?
GO/DON’T GO could easily be developed into an entire series based on the flashes of information we receive in a 1 hour and 30-minute runtime. What’s with the lightbulb diary? How is all the food so fresh? Why is there still electricity at all? Where is his dog? *Silent scream* I want to know so much more, but completely respect the fact that a massive mystery still remains. If you want to run and tell people and/or ask them if they’ve seen this film while on the festival circuit, well I don’t know what a bigger compliment you could give a first-time filmmaker. Alex Knapp is not only captivating in the role of Adam, but he clearly understands how to effectively build suspense with his writing. He holds the viewer captive with questions and punctuates those moments with a superb soundtrack. The ever-changing lighting is haunting. GO/DON’T GO grabs you from the very first scene and keeps you guessing until the screen goes black. The thought that went into this film is palpable. While I still have so many things I want to know about the ending, I am a cheerleader for Knapp. Whatever’s coming next, I want it now.
Family is complicated. Every generation trying to make life better for the next but ultimately failing in one way or another. You cannot do it all perfectly, that’s not a thing. It is in the mistakes and flaws we accept where we grow as individuals and as one family unit. King Of Knives is a raw and undeniably funny look at regret. It shines in its honesty. It allows its characters to feel relatable with great dialogue and effective editing as the full plot is revealed. It’s a beautifully balanced screenplay, allowing each of the four family members to come to terms with where they fit in and how that might affect the others.
The performances are really great. I have to call out the comic timing from everyone. It’s a natural back and forth I have with my family, like it or not. While we all think everyone is so very different, I reality we’re all just as messed up as the next person in line. Gene Pope, Mel Harris, Roxi Pope, and Emily Bennett do a fantastic job making you believe they are related. There is just enough connection and disconnection for you to buy it completely. They are coated in trauma they ignore and facing it one year later will finally break open family secrets and revelations that will change everyone. Lindsay Joy‘s script feels real from my perspective; the first of four (now adult) kids that all did different things and pretend to be too cool for school most of the time. But we know, deep down, we’re all floundering in one way or another. We’re still better together. King Of Knives hits home for any viewer. Sometimes you have to break it down to build it back up. It’s a “Go call you Dad” kind of film. It’s the perfect holiday film, once you watch it you’ll understand why. It releases today on VOD and Digital platforms. Get a taste from the trailer below.
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