A Desert – STREAMING

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The stark, empty roads and isolated towns of the American Midwest have long been popular filming locations, so it’s fitting that director and writer Joshua Erkman titled his film ‘A Desert’. The landscape particularly attracts photographer Alex Clark (Kai Lennox), who we first meet while he’s exploring an abandoned movie theater in the middle of nowhere. He sets up his vintage camera – complete with photographic plates, a manual shutter, stopwatch, and light meter – to capture the scene. He’s on a solo work trip, checking in daily with his wife, Samantha (Sarah Lind), from a budget hotel that makes the Bates Motel seem cozy.

Alex can’t sleep because of a fighting couple next door. When the hotel receptionist refuses to intervene, Alex tries to handle the situation himself. The couple, Renny and Susie Q, claim to be siblings and convince Alex to let them into his room, but it soon becomes clear they might be involved in something more sinister – possibly a pimp and a prostitute.

The film unfolds as expected at first, but then takes a surprising turn, centering on Sam’s growing worry about her friend Alex, who she hasn’t heard from in a week. When the police aren’t helpful, she hires private investigator Harold (David Yow) to find him. His search leads him to a cast of shady characters and a hidden secret at an abandoned military location.

I was really drawn into this film’s pacing – it starts slowly, building this atmosphere, and then really picks up. You get this growing sense that something’s deeply wrong, even sinister, with the world it creates. It’s clearly inspired by David Lynch, and the way the landscapes and buildings are filmed is amazing – they feel both ordinary and incredibly unsettling. The ending especially stuck with me; it felt like the story just looped back on itself, creating this endlessly repeating cycle. It’s a film that really gets under your skin.

Here’s the trailer for A Desert….

A Desert is on UK and Ireland digital platforms on 24 November from Blue Finch Film Releasing

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2025-11-23 14:24