There are moments when a film can turn, develop unexpectedly from one thing into another. This is the case with A Desert. To go into what this moment is would ruin this tricksy little work but once it happens, the audience is thrown off-balance, leading us down a darker, stranger path than we might have expected.
The story begins as a photographer’s road trip, with Alex going off-grid as he seeks to capture something missed by others in his field. It is as his journey reaches a seemingly innocuous dusty motel that his path crosses with a charismatic couple, who offer rowdy delights but also something more nightmarish for our hero.
Debut director Joshua Erkman shows an accomplished eye for tone, crafting a vibe that reaches for 70s-esque bleakness. Initially it feels that Erkman, along with scriptwriter Bossi Baker are aiming for something ethereal and cosmic. But then with a brutal punch of violence the film’s horrors become all the more human. Ty Segall’s score haunts, whilst Jay Keitel’s cinematography is queasily beautiful. The technical prowess here is wonderfully confident.
What brings A Desert together is its strong ensemble. Kai Lennox mixes a nervous energy with a misplaced confidence as Alex. Zachary Ray Sherman and Ashley B. Smith’s alternate couple are vile, compelling, intriguing. And there is terrific work as the film progresses from Sarah Lind and David Yow.
As the film cascades towards a final act of utter bleakness, A Desert feels like its reaching for something profound about the state of America, the divide that exists between its people, and a sense of the people lost in the cracks and the rage this fosters. A truly haunting work likely to stay with you long after the credits.
5 Screams out of 5
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