Slamdance Film Festival 2025 – Writer/director Cory Santilli‘s In the Mouth is a black and white manifestation of his own struggles with agoraphobia, according to his statements about the film. Its protagonist is a shut-in who nearly breaks down anytime that he opens the front door. Yet, despite the heavy subject matter, the film isn’t without its dark humor and truly oddball visuals.

Santilli’s second feature stars Colin Burgess as the recluse Merl. He won’t leave the house, and when his landlady comes knocking, reminding him that he’s several months late paying rent, he literally crawls around on the floor, hoping to avoid her. Yet, Merl can’t escape the responsibility of paying rent. Because of that, he decides to take in a roommate. The one he chooses, Larry (Paul Rothery), arrives with nothing more than the clothes on his back and doesn’t seem too keen on sharing much about himself with Merl. It turns out that Larry is an escaped killer. To complicate matters further, anytime that Merl tries to leave the house, he encounters a giant version of himself protruding from the front lawn, trapping him inside.

I can’t understate how many clever and off-the-wall scenes this film contains. The sequences between Merl and Larry, especially when they’re seated together to eat breakfast or dinner, are some of the best. Even when news reports about Larry’s escape flash across the TV, Merl is too clueless to realize he let a killer into his home. Perhaps he’s just so lonely for human interaction. Merl may initially know nothing about Larry, but at least it’s real, face-to-face human connection.

Certain sequences and visuals feel Lynchian in their execution. There are some truly strange images here and also some of the dark humor that’s evident in the likes of Twin Peaks and other works by Lynch. Yet, despite some of the surreal imagery, this movie, more than anything, is about Merl’s crippling anxiety, loneliness, and challenge to find any meaningful human interaction, since he can’t leave the house. There’s a lot of heart and soul in this movie, likely because Santilli drew upon his own agoraphobia. For as weird as Burgess’ character can be, his performance makes the character likeable, deserving of some compassion.

The film is also lean in its pacing, and though the script takes quite a few turns, the tone remains consistent. All of this builds to a third act and conclusion that are quite uplifting. Generally, this is a well-polished script, again showcasing Santilli’s talent and the care put into this film.

In the Mouth is a strange, yet wonderfully endearing film. Out of his own struggles with agoraphobia, Santilli made one unique piece of art. This is quite the strong second feature from him. This movie is one part thriller, one part comedy, with plenty of arresting visuals and an inspiring ending.