PREP
Drama, Short Films, 02-Feb-2024
A bodybuilding fever dream fueled by childhood trauma, food porn and acid techno music. Raymond Knudsen directs “Prep,” a highly-stimulating portrait of a man who goes to extremes with his mind and body. Surrounded by rubber floor mats and stainless steel, we meet an unnamed bodybuilder with headphones blasting. An intense, wall-to-wall soundtrack shifts from rapid techno to accentuated, diegetic atmosphere. As sound shifts, so does the sense of reality. The film combines real-time sequences of “prep” routines with moments of surreal isolation: the man is surrounded by a spectacle of choreographed dancers and other bodybuilders, fights hallucinogenic cravings, and experiences abrupt flashbacks to childhood. The experimental approach is both adrenaline-inducing and emotionally resonant. -JM. Writer/Director: Raymond Knudsen. Cast: Chibueze Anyasor, John Xavier Lambert, Michael Acosta. Producers: Raymond Knudsen, Paula Andrea González-Nasser, Stephen Musumeci, Melina Valdez. DP: Robert Bevis. Editors: Raymond Knudsen, Stephen Musumeci. Production Designer: Jacqueline Xerri.