Psychopomp
All Films
•
30-Mar-2016
In Greek mythology a psychopomp is a being--god, spirit, or animal--that ushers souls into the underworld. In Loni Paone & Cooper Vacheron’s short film, psychopompitry is a decidedly aboveground craft, a blend of New Age healing and homebrew gadgetry that resembles hydraulically-assisted reiki, or maybe full contact aromatherapy, or whatever the opposite of sense-deprivation is. Allie and Ino (Allie Wittner and Ino Badanjak) are two such DIY lightworkers sharing a home and joint practice. Instead of safe passage across the river Styx, they offer “creative catharsis,” a shortcut to satori made possible by the ancient and revered power of getting weird. Just because their days are spent brewing up existential cure-alls doesn’t mean they’re above the more mundane struggles of the modern housemate: the borrowed food, the passive-aggressive notes, the smothering togetherness enforced by a shared lease and insufficient square footage. Caught between them is Allie’s docile boyfriend (co-writer/director Vacheron), variously conscripted as third wheel, peacemaker, and contested prize. As the feuding psychopompists soon learn, not even their most inspired quackery can exempt them from the required negotiations--between friendship, necessity, ambition, and affection--and the resolutely un-hallucinatory task of letting the small stuff slide. -Jonathan Kieran.
Up Next in All Films
-
Houseplants
On their first day living together, a young couple experiences ghosts from their past. “Houseplants,” from director Prashanth Kamalakanthan, is an elliptical drama that glimpses into the private life of Alma and Ron, a struggling couple on a vulnerable day. Over time, your partner changes and you...
-
six tabs
A man tries to decide whether or not to take acid while his friend films him. Written by Colin Burgess and Tynan Delong, “six tabs” is brimming with absurd behavior and juvenile silliness, another signature addition in the body of work of DeLong & friends. Looking to expand his mind, the man ...
-
Nudes
[Online Premiere]. Desperate to be desired in her long-expired relationship, Jen becomes embroiled in a sextual encounter with her co-worker. “Nudes,” directed by Evan Daves, is a provocative relationship drama about a young couple experiencing doubts and trust issues, and possibly drifting into ...