SXSW FILM FESTIVAL 2022 Report 4: STAY THE NIGHT & BITCH ASS

Well, we are nearing the end of the festival here folks, and I’ve seen a lot. As always, I can seemingly never get enough. If I was able to stop time and just ingest films repeatedly, I would. This is the last of my coverage of feature films, and here we have a romance and a horror, both equally enticing. I wish I had a horror romance to triple this out but… maybe next time?

Stay the Night (Renuka Jeyapalan)

This isn’t a new concept by any means and while one of my favorite romances (Before Sunrise) had done it better, I still found Stay the Night, a story about two forlorn individuals serendipitously meeting and realizing they are exactly what they need at this moment, refreshing. Most of my coverage was not of this kin, and so this came at a much-needed time of levity, focusing on how much connection, no matter the kind, at various times in our lives, can be influential.

Grace (Andrea Bang) was just denied the promotion she expected, is reminded of her love troubles; all the while, her roommate (really staying on her couch) has a hookup so Grace has to be scarce for a few hours. Meanwhile, Carter (Joe Scarpellino) is an NHL player with his last night in the city. He recently found out that he is being released, either relocated to the minors or potentially being picked up by another team. It’s a night of uncertainty and trepidation. He’s got a great suite in Toronto, restless with concern for his future. The two meet at a bar, and while their initial interaction isn’t the sort of romantic legend, the two find themselves spending time together, each eventually divulging their woes. They almost hook up, but Grace has never done so, and from there they spend the night walking, drinking, eating, and eventually realizing the connection so blatantly staring them in the face.

The biggest takeaway is the endearing quality of these two. Neither seems “together” and yet with each other, they find their own answers. Whether or not they end up as a couple is almost irrelevant because they find this unexpected experience emotionally and lovingly moving. I thought both performances were charming, especially that of Andrea Bang whose insecurities play out in her every mannerism. It’s understandable; life is hard, vibing with another deeply is even tougher. She’s someone who is quite pointed with every aspect of her daily life, but when it comes to romance she just isn’t confident.

The two venture around Toronto and director Renuka Jeyapalan and the cinematography by Conor Fisher utilize the appeal of the city. It romanticizes the locale as much as it does the encounter. It made me want to walk the streets, feel the aura, and absorb the beauty of the subtleties of your surroundings.

Stay the Night isn’t necessarily reaching for new ground, but its execution stands. That’s what matters. Romance can come from the most unexpected of places and times, and no matter how many ways we see a variation of this, if the characters click and the conversation seems natural, it’s heartwarming. We all want to believe.

It is the kind of sweet pick-me-up you’d expect from a romance like this about strangers spending the night getting to know each other. Renuka Jeyapalan gives us endearing characters with charming performances, so I’ll happily Stay the Night. 

Bitch Ass (Bill Posley)

From its intro, legend Tony Todd begins the story of Bitch Ass, painting him as an iconic slasher deserving of a 90s VHS. Todd starts and ends the film and it makes for an interesting perspective, honing in on the lore of storytelling, the mythos of “legend has it” and it ensures we dive headfirst into the fun.

While it’s obvious at times of its lower budget, Bitch Ass makes use of this and maximizes its creativity and campiness. The entire film plays out like a board game, from its curious kill rooms to the stylistic choices resembling a video game. When a group of young inductees into a local gang known as 6th Street, on initiation night, break into a home to rob it, they choose poorly. Among them is Q (Teon Kelley); his heart isn’t in it but he wants to secure a better life for him and his mother (someone Cecil knew in his youth, played by Me’lisa Sellers). He’s clearly our anchor, as we see this young, intelligent, and impressionable teen doing the best he can.

There is history here though because the remaining resident in question was a victim of a painful, violent, previous attack. Cecil AKA Bitch Ass (Tunde Laleye) was a young teen criticized for being different, a fan of board games, and living with his wealthy (and wickedly cruel) grandmother. This is the catalyst for his revenge, for his premeditated pursual of this gang and their leader Spade (Sheaun McKinney) who ordered the original attack.

With frequent visuals like naming the room and who is battling (again video game-esque) and who wins, it truly feels like one come to life. It bounces back and forth between 1999 and 1980, and the choice of chronology helps enrich the desired vibe. Some of the game kills are creative, taken from classic favorites like Connect Four, Battleship, and Operation. Bitch Ass does give the kids an opportunity to win their life, but these games are not like they used to be. Hence, avoid! Avoid!

Where the movie struggles most is with the dialogue and how the characters are written (the script by Jonathan Colomb and Bill Posley). Some of it doesn’t play out naturally and occasionally is so predictable it’s a little painful. I can see the homages Posley pulls from in various ways, but as the movie plays out, there isn’t much for stakes. If the whole movie is a board game, it’s one where there are barely any rootable players, and the route to its end is a straight line. There isn’t much of a push for this film to challenge itself and feels more like Checkers than Chess.

It may not maintain the cleverness displayed early on, and the characters are definitely underdeveloped, but Bitch Ass doesn’t skimp on keeping you entertained, locked in until the very last roll of the dice. Me’lisa Sellers‘ performance feels the most emotionally charged and stands out among the rest.

It is a board game-inspired film with a throwback feel and a revenge-style horror. Even when it lost a turn, I still had a blast.

Stay the Night and Bitch Ass premiered at SXSW Film Festival 2022