The thriller genre is exploded and reassembled in DeNardo and Felten’s funny and alluring work on paranoia, surveillance, and performance.

Featuring an intriguingly eclectic cast (including the experimental theater performers Stephanie Hayes and Scott Shepherd, the musician Eleanor Friedberger, and Chloë Sevigny), Slow Machine follows an actress (Hayes) whose intimate relationship with a shadowy NYPD-affiliated counter-terrorism operative ends abruptly and disastrously, leading her to hide out in a country house otherwise occupied by a band preparing their new record. But her supposed escape proves almost as anxious and tense as life in the city in this off-kilter mystery and she is also afflicted by violent memories of her past life.

A self-described “screwball thriller”, Slow Machine defies the boundaries of genre and those of the reality of the film. It also transgresses into other art forms; music, literature and performance—all of which combine into a dense and non-linear narrative, which is further highlighted by this diverse cast. This narrative form is complemented by the use of 16mm film, which creates a visual tone both eerie and grungy, yet also soft and intimate. In the words of Philip Larkin, whose work and influence is apparent throughout the film, the “unbeatable slow machine” of life “brings what you’ll get”. The result is equally dark and playful, as Slow Machine is a fascinating work pitched at the intersection of American independent cinema and avant-garde theater.

Directed by , U.S.A., 2020, 72 mins.

Paul Felten and Joe DeNardo   |  USA  |  2020  |  72 mins.