Gazer Review

It’s a bold critique to compare any film to the emotional and narrative intensity of Memento and Inception, and even bolder to claim a self-financed independent debut could achieve this. Despite any preconceptions of over-ambitiousness that director Ryan J. Sloan and co-writer plus star Ariella Mastroianni may have faced, their mystery noir thriller Gazer stunned at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2024—and will undoubtedly stun cinema-goers, too.

Shot on 16mm and put to a haunting score with a minimal ensemble cast, Sloan’s vision for Gazer fits right into the gaping hole a post-David Lynch world creates — dream sequences and all. It’s clear that the ambition which often plagues an independent debut has been reeled in by Sloan and Mastroianni’s persistence to shoot on film, such a time-limiting medium. This works in Gazer’s favour: several loose threads of various sub-plots can begin to overwhelm the viewer, but Frankie (played by Mastroianni) isn’t interested in seeing out conclusions — she’s more interested in impulse.

This drive, this sheer motivation to know about Frankie. Even if just through a half-hearted gaze (no pun intended), it is what creates such addictive liminality in Gazer. Of course, Frankie’s disorder of time perception, known as dyschronometria, complements a non-linear narrative, with each temporal shift immersing the viewer in any disjointedness and detachment that lines Frankie’s life.

Coming from a background with limited filmmaking experience and training, you’d assume Gazer’s ambitions are too large to realise. Instead, the two-hour run-time flies by, with lingering discomfort which, oddly, you yearn for. Sloan and Mastroianni discussed their future plans in an exclusive interview for us, with a cryptic suggestion of a trilogy in the works, independent from Frankie’s story.

WATCH OUR INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR RYAN J SLOAN & STAR ARIELLA MASTROIANNI HERE

Modern noir is often limited by a desire to over-experiment, but Gazer confidently treads the line between the surrealism of 90s horror and the simplicity of a good old mystery. Instead of answering every question we have about Frankie’s past, we’re actively concerned about her future and endlessly curious about her present. What is she looking at? Has she lost track of time? Will she remember?

Sloan’s tight direction and Frankie’s undoubted strength of performance ensure our questions either get answered, or distract us long enough to forget we ever asked. Even an untrained eye will notice the quirks in the set dressing, the effortless immersion of the sound design, or the inspired construction of close-up shots. With a debut this strong, we should all be keeping tabs on Sloan’s next project.