Holy cow! Only a few movies this year have satisfied me as much as the new indie gem Samson. Bristling with originality, it’s the story of Emma (Alice Lee) and Dale (Ryan Dance) and possibly one of the worst break up stories ever told. As the film opens, the two are sitting in a Denny’s-esque restuarant. Emma’s burger came out raw instead of medium rare while Dale’s Caesar salad no dressing with a side of olive oil and lemon juice and slivered almonds arrived perfectly. Emma wants to roll with it, Dale demands that she gets what she asked for and takes control of the situation. It’s an odd thing, but this is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back and Emma storms out. Dale quickly follows her and before the two can hash things out, a car skids to a halt near them, two masked men abduct them and toss them in the trunk of a sedan, and our movie starts.Yes, that is how the movie starts. Written by Ruth Du and David Harry Yoon, Samson pays homage to genre greats like Tarantino and Nolan while forging an unpredictable new path.

Okay so, about the guys that kidnapped Emma and Dale…

We meet Drew (Will Brittain) and Joe (Emilio Garcia-Sanchez) as they are chowing down in a quintessential American-Chinese restaurant. While Joe remains silent and a bit on edge, Drew decides to monologue about the joys of MSG in state-side Chinese food. In this stretch, Du and Yoon flex their dialogue muscles and let the characters speak through their words or lack thereof. It is here that we learn that Drew and Joe have a “job.” Dressed in black, the two jump into a four door sedan and head to the location  where they are to kidnap a couple. After nabbing Emma and Dale in front of the diner the two criminals drive to their next destination and get to know one another.

Meanwhile, back in the trunk of the car…

Emma and Dale have reconciled to a degree and have a plan to overcome their abductors. The car finally pulls off to the side of the road, Drew and Joe prepare for their next move and Emma and Dale have a plan. Then all hell breaks loose.

Expertly directed by Du and nicely edited by Spenser Reich and Kristin Valentine, we get a möbius strip of a story that keeps us guessing. We have our tandem timeline set up, then we have flashbacks, then in a final push we get the dénouement. It’s like Pulp Fiction but with an epilogue. The cinematic gymnastics are thrilling for sure, but the mercurial story seems to just flow from one genre to another getting darker as it goes.

Who is Samson? Oh, you find out. No, it’s not pretty. But with a film choc full of chances taken and with so many of them working, it would be criminal for me to divulge anything. What I can say is that if you are a fan of Reservoir Dogs, rich dialogue clever filmmaking, and good writing, you owe it to yourself to see Samson.