A Desert (2024)

A Desert (2024)

The desert is a common setting for many films, and regrettably, Alexander Erkman’s First Love is not an exception. The predictions that the protagonists make concerning the darkest and the filthiest of plots are minimal, and this confirms the assertion that they almost venture into the low realms of ‘neo-noir horror’ without any attempts on their part. The movie appears to amalgamate Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’ and certain aspects of magical realism but disappointingly lacks the necessary suspense and the ambiance to fit such a bold approach. But still, if you are a fan of the artsy side of Backroads-Thriller, you will find it useful considering it is the greatest feast for your eyes in the Midnight zone of Tribeca Fest.

There’s a hint provided in the first part but it never is quite elaborated on to take any definite form in the linear progression of the film, which is supposed to be depicting some kind of a movie reel set in purgatory which turns the unsuspecting into a sculpture for eternity. Nevertheless, the first time we’re introduced to the character of Alex Clark (Kai Lennox) is when he is traversing through a dark and dusty cinema store located somewhere within the Mojave area. Clark after almost two decades rediscovers the remote film locations, which he traveled to two decades earlier while working on his first photo novel ‘Death of the New West’, but this time he is there not in search of his photos but in search of the dead locations. It is a more solitary endeavor with lesser interaction as he speaks to his wife Samantha (Sarah Lind), but once a day for updates. 

The task at hand entails going head to head with the motel’s receptionist who is both wise and sly, this being the character Bill Bookston plays; later we are also introduced to the other tenants residing in the room next door who are of dual nature, first comes Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman) who’s clothes are anything but decent in nature, and next is his counterpart Susie Q (Ashley B. Smith). This duo was once wrongly assumed to be siblings but bears a closer resemblance to a madam begging a whore for more. 

Even so, Alex causing his own subjugation by drinking puts him in a bit of a quandary as he sees them throwing their weight around him and forcing him to drink a beverage that remains unnamed of an alcoholic nature. The subsequent morning he wakes up with a heavy head and sore eyes, not to mention the nasty hangover which leaves him with barely a shred of memory of the other day’s events. Currently, though Alex is in disbelief and can’t understand the ramifications of Renny tagging him along to places where cameras had never set foot before.

Sam begins to get anxious upon receiving no notifications from her husband apart from a single phrase-like message as a whole week has gone by. As the police are not helping and she is desperate, she decides to hire Harold Palladino (David Yow) who is a private investigator to find more information regarding Alex’s location, and in doing so, she also reaches out to him. Soon enough, she discovers he’s in a different motel room with different people and in a different town, while there are speculations about a base being set up at an old abandoned military facility. After spending a lot of time in the area, it’s only rational that Sam accepts the invitation that she gets and makes a bad decision. 

With Andrea Alexander’s costume design as well as Oyelowo’s production design, the German Benjamin pattern of combining long and short shots complemented with great eye contact and deep stories satisfies the audience and keeps them engaged. Once again, it is captivating to see Jay Keitel shooting a scene with a different touch and different clothes that are reflective of the clothes worn by Alex in the photographs, And of course, Tom Green’s Freedom Band, modestly accompanied by the music of Ty Segal, also helped Irish indie actor and musician “Ty Segal” very much. 

There is no enhancement or feed off of the tension and even the eagerness at the studio where with no doubt there were puzzling transmissions that can be termed as low but quite shining even when moving forth in the narrative. This is all allegation as I am certain there was some vaguely but still I am certain they had with them malaise that they just had to use however it was used in a poor manner by the people in the film. The narrative eventually gets trapped in a rabbit’s hole with the only difference being this time it wasn’t much of a trap as it was everything else, simply an ending that felt off and muddled. 

Given that the conspiracy is multi-layered and possibly criminal in nature I should believe many would come out imagining just that. Picture fading out is certainly not a great manner of speech and reasoning when it comes to Walks of imagination, “A Desert” as a result becomes laughable in many scenes including my personal favorite when looking for horror, James Landis from The Sadist who managed even in a schlocky nature to relay his character as a teenage doll psychotic in manner.

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