Parallax (2020)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Nonentity Crisis

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

In Michael W. Bachochin's Parallax, married Naomi (Naomi Prentice) begins to feel withdrawn, barely interacting with her husband Lucas (Nelson Ritthaler), and, often, seeming not to remember him at all. She has visions of herself drowning (and once, nearly does, in the bathtub). Occasionally she paints, and when she does, she finds herself whisked away to other places, such as the beach. Sometimes in these places, she meets Mikayla (Hattie Smith); there's evidence that she and Mikayla are also in a relationship, though neither woman remembers the other. Lucas tries his best to help her, from speaking with a shrink (Ted Gianopulos), to trying to get Naomi to re-connect with her grandmother, but nothing seems to work. Eventually Naomi breaks into a locked room in the house, and from there, Parallax becomes less a movie about depression/dementia, and turns into something else, a nifty mystery steeped in sci-fi. The low-budget movie rests on its earnest performances, the actors grappling with the heavy dialogue admirably. It starts slowly, and can feel depressing for a while with its pale color palette, heavy interiors, and odd, dislocating compositions. Perhaps it could have been trimmed a bit to get to the good parts a little faster, but patience does pay off. This is a very interesting indie that may appeal to sci-fi fans who don't always require special effects or explosions.

Parallax is said to be opening July 10, 2020 in theaters and drive-ins during the COVID-19 pandemic. Check the official site for updates.