"To pass the time, the pair play a game they've shared since Daughter's childhood, triumphantly rattling off palindromes - words that read the same backwards and forwards, such as "m-o-m," "d-a-d," "s-i-s" and "r-a-c-e-c-a-r." As the game gets increasingly complex ("name now one man"), it becomes clear that Dana's play is a dark palindrome itself, where circling dialog and damaging relationship dramas repeat themselves."
"Between short scenes, we hear anxious music (composed by Matt Cherub) and see comic figures, often hooded and wearing safety vests, use flashlights to project retro road signs, announcing what state the pair is currently driving through. But where are they exactly? In David Lynch Land, where fans of the late filmmaker's surreal style can savor increasingly sinister elements along the way, including a father-daughter hitchhiking team (John San Nicolas and R.L. Routh)."
"Either way, Lucy Wells' costumes here, bedecked with sparkles, ruffles and red bows, are comically creepy. The expert direction by Mellory Mirashrafi is particularly impressive, considering that this thriller has more moving parts than a luxury car, with actors playing multiple roles that feature fast-paced wordplay as one verb slurs into another, such as when Dad says something like, "We don't server, savor, sever our ti"
During Christmastime, a seemingly loving father and his adult daughter drive from New York to California, both displaying an unsettling cheer. They pass time by reciting palindromes, escalating from simple words to complex phrases, mirroring a looping, repetitive structure. Interstitial anxious music and comic figures project retro road signs to mark states. Surreal and increasingly sinister elements appear, including a father-daughter hitchhiking pair that raises questions about identity and exploitation. Costumes feature sparkles, ruffles and red bows that read as comically creepy. Expert direction coordinates multiple actors in rapid role shifts and dense, slurring wordplay, intensifying the thriller's looping momentum.
Read at Oregon ArtsWatch * Arts & Culture News
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