THE SUBJECT
GENRE: PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, DRAMA
RELEASED ON OCT 22, 2021
WRITTEN BY CHISA HUTCHINSON
DIRECTED BY LANIE ZIPOY
STARRING JASON BIGGS, NILE BULLOCK, ANABELLE ACOSTA, CARRA PATTERSON, AND AUNJANUE ELLIS
SYNOPSIS: THE SUBJECT follows a successful white documentary filmmaker dealing with the fallout from his previous film which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape. Now, someone films his every move, threatening his idyllic life.
WHAT THIS FILM DOES WELL: It all begins, goes, and ends on the shoulders and backs of great performances, with no one carrying a heavier load than Jason Biggs. Biggs is in nearly every scene and his ability and craft in which he puts on display tenfold, leads and culminates to what might be the best 30 minutes between 2 actors this year, between him and Aunjanue Ellis. However he is far from alone in performances that knock it out of the park though. As nearly all the actors drive a few scenes here and there. Doing so with a precision rarely seen from an entire ensemble cast to the point where their choices really lend to this incredibly rich sense of going through something that is so stark and so real. All of which also help drive home a very, very poignant narrative established in the script. This script by Chisa Hutchinson is masterful not only because of the rich ensemble character development but also because it's true context never loses sight of what makes this such a compelling watch. The underlying statement that it makes is one that often comes up in interviews I do with Documentary filmmakers, and when you sit with it and think about how much of that is being touched upon here, even if its to a certain extreme that may or may not ever exist, there is this ideology and philosophy that really hits home on some many levels. For a writer like Hutchinson to present this onion to peel away and for director Lanie Zipoy to really find a way to not only explore that but capture it into a drama that unfolds like a murder mystery is absolutely breathtaking. The shot selection Zipoy and her DP Darren Joe chose create this movement that allows for natural actions to take place but then out of nowhere something amazing happens. Some of these are meant to surprise, some meant to give a moment of pause and let the dialogue sink in, and some are meant to turn a character on or off. All of which were clever in the reveals, the red herrings, and the foreshadowing. Layers upon layers does this story deep and when it does everyone seems up to the task of bringing to a next level that leaves you feeling so many feels. I thought about this film for days after, and now because I am writing this I am thinking about it so more and when the year ends I no doubt will be revisiting all of that to talk about it some more.
WHY CHAMPION THIS FILM: This is the type of film that has this Indie feel, Indie undertone, and yet is not short the elements that make a film so compelling no matter what "The Subject" is. Almost dare I say a little documentary-ish. It has people you recognize, doing things you don't and yet are so amazed by when they touch that rarified air. It is in the grand scheme of things a shocking and entertaining film rich with a lo of what makes Indie film so fucking great right now. You will be all over the map, kind of disgusted, kind of in ahh, kind of shocked, and kind of compassionate and understanding. We need ot be taken through the ringer sometimes, it's this movie is a really good way to do that.
IF YOU LIKED: THE CROSSING GUARD, HEARTS OF DARKNESS, CELEBRITY, or are a big fan of Behind the scenes footage you will probably like this film
YOU CAN WATCH THE SUBJECT HERE
HERE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT EPISODE ON THE FILM WITH STARS NILE BULLOCK, CARRA PATTERSON, WRITER CHISA HUTCHINSON AND DIRECTOR LANIE ZIPOY.
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