Slamdance Film Festival 2025 – Writer/director Sabrina Greco‘s Lockjaw is an offbeat comedy that begins with a drunk driving accident. It then transforms into an exploration of various personal relationships among a group of friends. Some are quick to stab each other in the back for their own needs and desires. At the center of everything is Rayna (Blu Hunt), whose jaw is wired shut after the accident in the film’s opening minutes.

Immediately, it’s clear how much Rayna enjoys drinking and socializing. In the opening, she stumbles around on the street with a small group of friends. She doesn’t want the night and good times to end. Eventually, she enters her car, despite the fact she’s hammered. The accident is indeed Rayna’s fault, though she really shows little guilt and remorse, at least initially. Instead, weeks following the accident, she’s restless to socialize again.

Rayna does attend another party with her new boyfriend Mitch (Colin Burgess), as well as Noah (Kevin Grossman), Genevieve (Lena Redford), and Annabell (Sally Sum). They land at the residence of a strange couple, the artist Cleo (Ally Davis) and the magician Robert (Nick Corirossi). Of course, this makes for one bizarre party, beyond just magic tricks and weird art. More importantly, and what’s at the center of this film, is the exploration of the tension among friends. Rayna causes some of it, but not all. A lot of these friends have feelings for each other, even if some of them are in relationships. Noah, for example, convinces Mitch that Rayna is no good for him. It turns out, though, that Noah just may have feelings for Rayna. Another character has feelings for Mitch, even if he’s with Rayna. Talk about drama. Yet, despite the complicated web of souring friendships, the film handles all of these relationships well and sometimes makes them the focus, especially for the sake of dark comedy and conflict.

There’s also the fact that Rayna really wants to drink and socialize, but she can’t since her mouth is wired shut. She does become the source of jokes at the party, especially at the hands of the often mean-spirited Robert. Viewers will likely feel conflicted about this aspect. Is sympathy warranted for Rayna? Some of the jokes towards her are ill-conceived and cruel. Yet, her condition is her own doing, since she drove drunk. Hunt turns in quite the performance as the imperfect lead character. She deserves props for playing a character whose speech is reduced, leaving her to convey emotions through body language and facial expressions.

Overall, Lockjaw is a well-scripted dark comedy with one flawed lead character. It also examines a complicated web of friendships, while having some fun in doing so. Even though her character can hardly speak, Hunt steals the show here. She gives a compelling performance of a deeply messy character.