This is a character study that’s about the peculiar mental state of Easton, heading down a dark path of self-destruction, pushed to the brink of sanity, possibly leading to self-harm because he’s grief-stricken.

Directed by Chad Bishoff, he makes great use of shooting primarily in one location. The house in the film feels both spacious and empty yet claustrophobic and trapping at the same time. The camera work adds to the atmospheric tone because wide long takes are used to show the vastly empty house as symbolism for the loneliness of solitude. On the contrary, close-ups and medium shots are used during conversations to amplify the hopefulness. Long takes are used during these conversations with minimal editing. That’s refreshing because most movies nowadays are over-edited. The cinematography gives the film a grounded vibe. I’m a sucker for spot-on match-cut editing, too, and this is an exemplary example of how to do it.

Written by Sam Harter and Chad Bishoff, the script patiently explores the psychological damage along with the grieving process as well as survivor’s guilt. The story is told in a nonlinear structure using flashbacks to fill in the blanks about what’s going on inside Easton’s mind. The film also features scenes of Easton’s nightmares supplementary to exposition to define why he’s so grief-stricken coupled with survivor’s guilt.

Easton is surrounded by a strong support system with friends willing to help him yet he refuses. This plotline adds authenticity to the dialogue because people often have a hard time asking for/ accepting they need help. It’s a fascinating aspect of the storytelling not often broached in films. More often than not, someone is desperately seeking assistance, and everyone else writes them off as being “crazy”. No one believes them until it’s too late. This film does the opposite of that. Again, how refreshing.

Starring Christopher Backus, Skye P. Marshall, Jake T. Austin, Ka’ramuu Kush, and Paulo Costanzo. Their powerhouse performances are so enthralling because of how much emotion they put into their roles. No one is overacting. The earnestness of the performances is key. It keeps the movie grounded.

Overall, it’s a different kind of horror movie that explores the horrors of grief and losing loved ones because of happenstance. It’s a classic case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time in a brisk runtime of 1 hour and 23 minutes. Don’t expect a ton of jump scares and gore. Its emphasis is on the psychology behind the grieving process and survivor guilt. As opposed to the Smile movies, it shows help for mental health issues is available. It’s not all doom and gloom. This hopeful message is a much better one for the theme of a film. This isn’t for everyone considering the difficult subject matter. The unconventional methods of storytelling thoroughly create a dark, deeply disturbing narrative of disparity with a glimmer of hope underneath it all. And remember, reality is relative in your mind’s eye when its relative to reality.