A Little Dry — A DESERT
By Yasin Lago
The mysterious nature of isolation, desolation, and/or inspiration that draws many to the scorched dust bowl that is the desert has been an abundant source of material for filmmakers delving into the recesses of man’s darkest places eventually exposed to the burning light. The latest entry into telling its tale in the torrid wilderness is a stylish neo-noir thriller simply titled A Desert.
A photographer of still pictures, specifically abandoned structures, Alex (Kai Lennox) goes on an off-grid solo trip to regain inspiration for his work and find himself. Instead, he is found by two strange desert dwellers, looking for a party and someone to party with. The alluring but suspect Susie Q (Ashley B. Smith) and the seething, maniacal Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman), having a night out from his day job filming disturbing porn. Their interactions eventually lead to Alex disappearing, forcing Alex’s wife, Sam (Sarah Lynd) into hiring a private investigator (David Yow) to find him after being told there is no reason to look deeper by the police.
Director Joshua Erdman, with cinematography by Jay Keitel ( Mrs. Davis, Outer Range) sets the stage for a film that is shot as if they recorded a dream. Big open landscapes with broken urban formations we’ve never seen before yet they seem familiar. Only this dream has jazz music playing in between scenes. Influences and inspirations of earlier desert films are present, but most especially from the two Davids: Lynch and Cronenberg.
Without spoiling the plot, there is also a nod to another desert thriller, Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. That film, like many of the film noir crime movies of the 1950s, displays edgy, desperate characters looking to change their lives dramatically, or, in some cases, just looking for someone lost to them. Usually, that calls for the genre staple: the detective, played by the gruff and laid back David Yow. Aptly named Harold Palladino, searches for his client’s husband. He is the audience point of view character for much of the movie. Our antagonist Renny, is played with an exuberant rage by scene stealing Zachary Ray Sherman. His performance stands out as a wasteland troll with a psychotic lifestyle, manipulating outsiders to their ruin.
Let me be clear, this movie is not for everyone. Calling it a slow burn would be an understatement. The pace doesn’t really escalate until the climax. And it is left open for viewer’s interpretation as to what happens to whom. This is a great example of art house cinema, which admittedly can be an acquired taste. If this type of film captures your imagination, you will want to see it and talk about it afterwards. If it doesn’t, well, you probably won’t talk much about it at all.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on May 15, 2025.
