A traveling photographer meets a couple at a motel following a noise complaint, soon his plans are changed and his connection to the couple has dire consequences.
Written by Bossi Baker and Joshua Erkman, and directed by the latter, A Desert is meant to be a psychological thriller with touches of horror. The writing here is not bad, but also not great; it seems to be just there. Yes, we have a story. Yes, there is some horror. But also, it feels like the most bland version of this story that these two could come up with. There is so much potential here, and it takes the easy road, the predictable road, and it leaves all “shocking” elements for a strobe-filled sequence near the end. The film as a whole, as well as its story, is likely more for the general, non-horror, indie film-watching public. The direction here being by one of the co-writers keeps with the mood of the writing.
The setting here is in the desert, a place that has the capacity to make almost any situation creepy. The cinematography does have a few moments where the location truly shines, but it becomes same old, same old fairly fast. Now, mind you, the work by Jay Keitel is not bad; it simply goes with the story and doesn’t add all that much. It’s, once again, not bad and not great; it just is. For a film about a photographer, one could expect some stunning cinematography, but it looks mostly basic, like so many other desert-set films before this one. Visually, the film is ok when it should be so much more.
The cast here is giving performances fitting of the material. The performances are there, but something feels like it’s missing. The lead, well the photographer, is played by Kai Lennox who does give a decent range here, showing there is something underneath, but he is not given enough screen time to really do something with it. Playing another sort of main character is David Yow as a Private Investigator. His work gives a performance that is very blase, something that actually works well for his character. The rest of the cast gets a lot less time to make an impression, and the best of the bunch is without a doubt Ashley Smith as Susie Q, one half of the couple who get the story rolling. She’s the shining star here.
Overall, the photography aspect of the lead character is not all that important, so for those of us wanting a photography film, this isn’t it. The horror elements are low; the thriller aspect is, like the story, on the predictable side for those who watch a lot of films. Something is missing here, some element of interest, something more involving for the viewer. The acting is mostly decent with one shining performance from Ashley Smith. The writing and direction are on the bland side and the cinematography fits with them. Something more is needed here to make it a rewatchable sort of film. Some will love it, but for this viewer it was one of those misses where the film is neither good nor bad; it just is, and there is no greater cinematic sin than a bland film. Especially when it had potentially to be so much more.