Gazer Review: A Mesmerizing and Unique Directorial Debut

      One might be inclined to compare Gazer to many films it alludes to. For example, there’s Memento, Christopher Nolan’s landmark film about a man who cannot create short-term memories and gets entangled in a dark criminal world. Although Ryan J. Sloan’s directorial debut doesn't employ such a groundbreaking structure, its hazy 16mm aesthetic and captivating narrative achieve something just as significant: it establishes a clear directorial perspective.

      Ariella Mastroianni (who is also a co-writer) plays Frankie, a single mother introduced while working the night shift at a gas station. She suffers from dyschronometria, a degenerative brain condition that alters her sense of time and critically leads to blackouts. To ground herself in the present, she listens to cassette tapes that repeat affirmations and mantras, instructing her to rewind if she feels a blackout approaching. Additionally, she participates in a support group for those who have lost loved ones to suicide, where she encounters Claire (Renee Gagner), the film’s femme fatale. Much like in classic noir, Claire appears to be in distress and offers Frankie a significant sum for a small favor: to break into her apartment, retrieve some keys, and drive a car to the Meadowlands.

      However, things are never quite that simple, much like Gazer itself. Sloan cleverly plays with the built-in tension surrounding a woman who can’t reliably gauge the passage of time, seamlessly transitioning from day to night as both Frankie and the audience start to feel at ease. The threat of Frankie zoning out is amplified during a tense scene where she has to hide under a bed during the break-in, intensifying the suspense. Mastroianni delivers an outstanding performance, portraying Frankie with the perfect blend of determination and the fragility of someone on the verge of collapse.

      A creeping sense of paranoia develops, supported by Sloan’s chilling visuals and a dark, jazzy score by Steve Matthew Carter. Gazer explores how we perceive things happening right before us and how we envision other individuals. It’s significant that one of the most frequently heard phrases in Frankie’s tapes is “Focus. What do you see?”—a question that becomes increasingly intricate as the mystery unfolds. In such instances, Gazer transcends being merely an aggregation of its influences and becomes its own entrancing entity, drawing you further into its intrigue.

      Less effective, though still well-shot, are several dream sequences that reference creators from Lynch to Videodrome. These sequences don’t disrupt the meticulously established atmosphere as much as they seem somewhat forced, as if Sloan aimed to incorporate all his ideas. While the film concludes on an intriguingly ambiguous note, it doesn’t quite achieve the expansive thematic depth of Memento, resorting instead to summarizing the plot. Nevertheless, even with its missteps, Gazer remains an undeniably unique experience. One of the highest praises that can be given is that it leaves viewers eager for whatever Sloan and Mastroianni will undertake next.

      Gazer is set to be released in theaters on Friday, April 4.