A low budget crime drama with shades of both Hitchcock and Cornell Woolrich which played the Cannes Directors' Fortnight and premiered at this year's Glasgow Film Festival here, director Ryan J Sloan's GAZER is getting a limited UK cinema release courtesy of Bulldog Distribution.
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Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni who co-wrote the screenplay with Sloan) suffers from dyschronometria, a progressive deteriorating condition that causes her to 'zone out' for periods and then have no idea how much time has passed. She relies on audio cassettes and in watching other people to help keep her grounded.
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It's during one of these period of 'gazing' that she witnesses an act of brutality in an apartment. Next day the woman concerned approaches her and offers Frankie $3000 to drive her as far away as possible from her abusive brother. Frankie, unable to hold down a job and desperate to save money to give to her daughter who is in care, takes the job and ends up in serious trouble as a result.
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GAZER takes a while to get going such that even by the halfway mark you may wonder if it's worth sticking with. Be assured that it is, however, with plenty of twists and turns and a satisfying denouement. The grainy 16mm photography gives the film that cold grungy feel of many a 1970s New York crime movie (we're actually in Jersey here) and the performances from a bunch of unknowns are all good.
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The film takes a little detour to fit in a dream sequence that's redolent with Cronenberg and Lynch-inspired imagery and Sloan just about pulls it off such that you don't mind, and the added mysterious backstory of what actually happened to Frankie's husband (who figures in the dream) adds another layer to what is ultimately a satisfying film. Worth catching if you can. Here's the trailer:
Ryan J Sloan's GAZER is out in UK cinemas from Bulldog Distribution on Friday 25th July 2025
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