Nobody said making a movie was easy. Getting one made, especially on your own, is a daunting and at-times arduous task taken on by few and accomplished by fewer. But there’s still that movie magic, right? What’s the worst that could happen?
Morgan Evans’ latest feature Micro Budget shows us just that, employing a meta-mockumentary style to make an indie film about making an indie film. Micro Budget is a hilarious look at the struggles of filmmaking and an interesting character study of those just crazy enough to try.
AN INDIE FILM ABOUT THE GROUP DYNAMIC
With his wife (Emilea Wilson) nine-months pregnant and fatherhood looming, Terry (co-writer Patrick Noth) had an idea: Move both of them from Iowa to LA and shoot a micro-budget indie flick, then sell it to a streamer for “a fuck-ton of money.” Boom. Problem solved. He’s got his script (a disaster movie about a meteor about to destroy everything that he SWEARS is not about his wife’s pregnancy), his cast, his crew, and an AirBnB. Now all he’s gotta do is make the thing, with a documentary team (his cousin, played by Evans) chronicling every step and misstep as everyone slowly realizes that Terry has no idea what he’s doing. Everything that can go wrong does: The food sucks, the crew is pissed, the director has a crush on the lead (Nichole Sakura), and a hundred other things you can think of as well as a couple you didn’t.
From top to bottom, this film is comedic gold. Co-written by Evans and Noth, the script is a barrage of jokes that, coupled with the visual comedy, keep you riveted for every awkward moment. Noth is incessantly insufferable, with seemingly every reveal about his character making him even more unlikeable, and I couldn’t get enough of it. Wilson is delightful as Erica, Terry’s exasperated wife that’s working even harder than he is. Jon Gabrus is a standout as Chris, the assistant director trying his absolute damnedest to keep this production moving along with the director of photography Tom (Don Fanelli). That’s not to detract from the rest of the cast, a powerhouse ensemble including Brandon Micheal Hall, Jordan Rock, Bobby Moynihan, Chris Parnell, Maria Bamford, Carla Jimenez, and so many others including the reveal of the “celebrity cameo” that Terry keeps promising will make their film an instant hit.
MICRO BUDGET: MASSIVE LAUGHS
I’m a sucker for films about films, or really any industry. Not only does Micro Budget showcase just how hard it can be to make a film, but also that not everyone goes into it with the same motivation. Such conflicts can be agonizing in real life, but are interesting to watch play out on screen. Evans and Noth have put together a great film, and as much as I would cringe the entire time, I wouldn’t hate to see what Terry and this crew could do with a bigger budget.
Micro Budget is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit, with upcoming dates through November 9th on their website.
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