SXSW 2022 Exclusive: Indie Film Spotlight
A look at several highlights of what sxsw 2022 is showcasing in indEpendent film
The backbone of the SXSW Film Festival has been the Independent Filmmakers and their films. Over the years we have seen the lives of these filmmakers change forever as they give us their very best for this legendary festival. Incredible films such as Bridesmaids, Attack The Block, and Knocked Up all had their debuts at SXSW and made household names of their directors and stars. Here are several highlights of this years SXSW Film Festival that deserve their own spotlight.
Deadstream
When is a horror not a horror. The answer is when it is a comedy. Deadstream is the misbehaving child of Joseph Winter, as he dons the triple crown of Writer, Director, and Star. Winter plays YouTuber Shawn Ruddy as he tries to win back the internet by livestreaming his night in a haunted house. Quickly and unsurprisingly he manages to piss-off the entity occupying the house and spends the night trying survive the wrath of the annoyed spirit. Winter presents the character as whacky, self-centered, problematic and extremely accurate to the average personality of today’s YouTube star. The film’s presentation feels like the natural evolution of the Found-Footage Film as a YouTube Live-stream complete with dumb stunts and commenter interaction. The comedy comes from the series of poor choices that Shawn makes during his stay in the haunted house as his situation become progressively worse. Deadstream will have you laughing and jumping throughout the runtime as Winter gives us what basically boils down to as Logan Paul vs The Evil Dead.
Emergency
There was a time in the early Noughties where the Box Office was littered with the Road-Trip Comedy. At first glance, Emergency begins as just that as two friends Kunle, Donald Elise Watkins, and Sean, RJ Cyler, plan to cap off their time in college by completing the fabled Legendary Run by visiting the five biggest parties of the year all in one night. Their plans are quickly changed when a young girl, Maddie Nichols, is found in a drunken stupor inside their home. Together, they and their roommate Carlos, Sebastian Chacon, try to get the girl to safety and save their night. This is where the film begins, in a pseudo-typical Road-Trip Comedy but where it ends is as a poignant social commentary on prejudice and racism in today’s uneasy social climate. In only his second Directorial Feature, Carey Williams, brings you up then slams you down hard with the reality of it means to be a young black man in today’s america. In a theater setting, the audience will be laughing at their misfortune until suddenly the laughing stops as everyone in attendance gets lost in analyzing their own prejudice.
Hypochondriac
Declining mental health can be one of the scariest experiences that one can have in a lifetime. Whether it is experiencing your own or a loved ones, the concept itself can be monstrous and terrifying. In his first Directorial feature, Addison Heimann gives you a look into his own mental breakdown through the horror lense with Hypochondriac. In a deeply personal story, the film is a surreal mixture of drama and horror. The film stars Zach Villa as Will, after experiencing his own mother’s mental decline, Marlene Forte, as a child his paranoia and emotional unavailability puts a strain on his relationship with boyfriend Luke, Devon Graye. Will begins seeing entities that are not there and spirals into self-harm and delusion as it seems neither a litany of Doctors, his influencer boss, Madeline Zima, nor even his own father, Chris Doubek, seem to care. Heavily inspired by Donnie Darko, the film is funny in places, terrifying in others but manages to carve out its own identity as a literal mind-bending horror.
Linoleum
There are very few films where watching it for the first time can be described as an experience; where any detail as to what a movie is about, the genre, or even the names of the characters runs risk of ruining the experience for the first time viewer. Any discussion involving Linoleum should be treated with care and respect for the prospective viewer because the film has earned it. Writer and Director Colin West has crafted a truly amazing experience in his second feature film. Every aspect of the film has been crafted with such palpable love and care. The beautiful score accentuates the gentle lighting and careful production design as the actors give performances that are both emotional and engrossing. No one aspect overpowers or overshadows the other and it is in this sensory harmony where Linoleum shines and provides an example to filmmakers and audiences alike of what could be achieved when made within a blanket of love. Jim Gaffigan shows how criminally underrated he is as a serious actor as his performance as a father looking to finally do something fantastic with his life is nuanced, emotional, and heartwarming. There are many holes that an actor can fall into while playing a wife dissatisfied with her marriage, Rhea Seehorn avoids them all as her emotional arc provides the actress with the platform for one of the best performances of her career. Young talent shines throughout the film on the performances of Katelyn Nacon and Gabriel Rush. Not only do they navigate the journey of young love, they address concepts of sexuality confusion, physical and emotional abuse and teenage angst, of course. Linoleum needs to be experienced. With so many soulless blockbusters filling the marquee, this passionate achievement of Colin West will leave you in awe and re-ignite your love with the art of cinema.