A miracle of indie filmmaking. Shot for practically nothing by first-time director David Barker, it delivers more bang for its minimal bucks than many a Hollywood blockbuster does for its multimillions.
The writer and director, David Barker, discards the didactic tone of so much American independent filmmaking in favor of a character study that leads to no easy conclusions.
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
It's cool and spare, but there's an essential lightness to the film's tone despite the heavy material, and Deborah Eve Lewis' glistening B&W cinematography is simply luscious.
50
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
Film ThreatMerle Bertrand
You keep waiting for the pot to boil over, but it never does. Instead, Barker lets the steam vent out all too easily and the film falls flat in the end as a result.
40
Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Ultimately Barker's style drains the life from the film, making it feel like an academic exercise as it becomes increasingly inert, emotionally and dramatically.
30
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Village VoiceDennis Lim
A stifling chamber piece laced with Repulsion-style foreboding and an undercurrent of kink.