- Release year: 2025
- Director: Joshua Rivera.
- Producers: Joshua Rivera and Genevieve Velez.
- Screenplay by: Joshua Rivera.
- Cinematography by: Joshua Rivera.
- Music by: Daniel Gonzales.
Synopsis: a man with an alcohol addiction begins to kill people as an outlet for his disillusion with the system.
Shotgun Commentary: demented story with aggressive and engaging storytelling.
Review
Deformelody: An American Nightmare is the very first film from this year’s Raindance programme to have arrived to my inbox. It is important to remember that this festival has some of the freakiest, most original indie films ever made, as well as to keep in mind that, the more you watch, the less shocked you’ll feel by them. With this in mind, this feature might not be the best choice as an opening. Not because it is necessarily bad, but because it is abnormally unhinged.
Pushing to the limit
The story follows The Killer (Joshua Rivera), a man with a traumatic past and an obsession with films. This lonely man with an alcohol addiction finds himself without a house or medical coverage once COVID happens. Abandoned by a system that abuses its people instead of protecting them, The Killer snaps and begins to kill people. I know, shocker.
At first, he only kills women, but then, in a very God Bless America (2011) kind of way, he begins to just kill anyone who bothers him. Anyone, except for people who bully him without reservations. After all, bullies are but victims of bigger bullies.
The Killer is not a particularly likeable man. In fact, he is your average LA obnoxious asshole. Will you be invested in his story? Probably yes, but definitely not out of any kind of worry towards his wellbeing. From the very beginning, he starts a rant against the system, women, pop culture, and all sorts of social issues. He does make great points at times, but mostly he is just a disillusioned man in a society that doesn’t care.
The spout
The best way to describe his rant overall would be to compare it to that of those drunk men who randomly stop you in the middle of the street at 3am when you are on your way home. You know, the ones who slur their way into what they think is a very enriching conversation that in reality is merely them oversharing about their whole life story while you nod and wait for the best moment to leave without them getting violent or pulling a knife.
This might be a very niche reference, but in my current city of residence this happens, A LOT, and for the most part, they are just drunk people in search for a kind ear to listen for a bit, which is alright. Regardless, there is always that lingering fear during those interactions, one that, in this film’s case, is completely warranted.
Still, he does make some excellent points from time to time, much like the aforementioned drunks on the street. Furthermore, he is the perfect example of the radicalisation and pressure people feel in this day and age to be something they might not even want to be, as well as how the system is rigged against the people.
This last topic is the only one where he doesn’t contract himself and where everything he mentions is brutally on point. Does he say anything we didn’t already know? If you live on this Earth and have been paying the slightest attention to what is going on in LA right now, probably not. But the president of the US is who it is, so clearly, there are more than a few voting people who still didn’t get the memo.
Final thoughts
Previously, it has been mentioned that you probably won’t be staying out of sympathy to The Killer. And you might’ve thought, “why would I then?”. The answer in simple, this film is so extra and deranged that you simply cannot stop staring at it.
The story can be oversimplified by saying “it follows a guy who kills people because he’s traumatised”, but the editing makes it so much more. If anything, the storytelling of this movie is more than enough of a reason to make you stop and stare. The editing being one of the most intense and dynamic since Moulin Rouge! (2001).
All in all, Deformelody: An American Nightmare is one of the type of film someone who loves American Psycho (2000) would do. A very similar narrative, albeit a lot less nuanced and way more representative of the latest events that are taking place in the US.
You can watch Deformelody: An American Nightmare now in London thanks to Raindance Film Festival. Screeners the 19th of June at 20:30 and the 20th of June at 14:15. Find all the info and tickets here!
Advice to take from this movie:
- Wear whatever T-shirt you want. People who want to judge you will do so anyway.
- We should all spend less time looking left and right, and more time looking up.
- Frantic editing is a whole vibe and deserves the highest praise.
What’s your take? Have you watched Deformelody: An American Nightmare? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀