GAZER
Starring: Ariella Mastroianni, Renee Gagner, Marcia DeBonis, Grant Schumacher, and Emma Pearson
Director: Ryan J. Sloan
BODE
If you mixed the general concepts of Christopher Nolan’s Following and Memento, filtered it through the eyes of the Safdies, and added just a dash of Cronenbergian body horror, you’d get an idea of what director Ryan J. Sloan has to offer with his self-financed debut feature, Gazer. I found much to appreciate in how effectively it pulled off its neo-noir homage, from its gritty 16mm cinematography, to its hauntingly jazzy score. It would have benefitted from a tighter runtime, as it feels overlong at nearly two hours, but there’s enough vision that I’m intrigued to see where everyone involved goes next.
KATIE
Gazer is a promising, if not tonally accomplished, debut feature. Director Ryan J. Sloan draws inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock, David Lynch, and David Cronenberg in this noir-style, paranoid thriller, but style and atmosphere are prioritised over narrative, which feels forgotten. This lack of momentum makes the nearly two-hour runtime feel challenging, especially in the long, quiet scenes that wander through dark streets. Plus, the constraints of the protagonist’s disorder were confusing and distracting, like her being unable to look at screens but being able to drive. The Memento-esque concept is initially compelling, but it contributes to the film’s aimlessness rather than engaging me in the story.
