The Theta Girl

We were expecting this to be pretty good but were just blown away by the quality of this film, especially given that it was made for such a ridiculously small amount of money, under $15,000. The story was creative and original and fast-paced, the acting was great, the filming and editing was top notch, and the accompanying musical soundtrack was perfect.

If you get a chance to see The Theta Girl, go. You'll be glad you did.

I was asked by a friend to go see this and when originally give a gist of what to expect my initial feeling was "Oh criminey. Well at least it'll make for Rifftrax style bait."

After seeing it though I have to say I was very impressed with it. On a budget of about 14 grand, they produced a movie with an interesting and coherent plot, appropriate and well executed special effects, and overall a very well done Grindhouse style movie. I've seen movies 10,000 more expensive that were not fit to wipe the corn-syrup blood from this movie's boots.

If you love the grindhouse genre you will be pleased to find that you get that AND a fully well executed movie. Even if you do not like grindhouse you will still find a reasonably well executed revenge vengeance story.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to view this fantastic little indie film recently and must say that not only is it possibly the best independent film of 2017 but possible one of the best examples of low budget film making EVER! Filmed with such energy, imagination and flair that its hard to not to fall instantly in love with the film's charms (and shocks - as it has it's share). The film bends and expands across different film genres whilst staying completely cohesive, strutting it's stuff on it's own two feet with ease - at times feeling like a nightmarish acid trip that you are very much a part of. Gripping, fun, offbeat, gory, engrossing, stylish and original. See it!

I'm astonished by this film—I went through my teens as a weird kid in the '80s, and throughout my viewing of "The Theta Girl," absolutely every moment felt convincingly like an '80s cult film, and it kept me utterly transfixed. Its premise, an existential drugs-as-doorways action/horror revenge-thriller exploitation trip, is much more intelligent and novel than I expected on the basis of the trailer, and it's vastly better- crafted and more well-acted (even the supporting cast shone) than anyone has any right to expect from a film that cost less than Cleveland real estate. Big props to all involved on a hell of an accomplishment.

Many of the positive reactions to this film have centered around the surprise that such a satisfying product could come from such a low budget. My surprise was, from the first screening I viewed, from the feeling this movie left in me—the reminder that consciousness has shared aspects, and that we act within that shared consciousness separately based on personal motivations. We even assume we are experiencing the same reality. This movie never felt cheap in a way that detracted from its aesthetic—rather it felt raw, vibrant and genuine as it explored this theme. Experiencing the effects of theta will make you scratch your head for days after. With a fast paced story captured in very real and unembellished, yet dramatic Columbia backdrops, an emotional plot brought to life by well-interpreted, believable characters, and a captivating and energetic soundtrack, The Theta Girl makes it a pleasure to be sucked into thinking about your own experience with reality. How improved or endangered would the world be, were a drug to be able to tap into consciousness like Theta does? Here we find it could be quite sick, and we don't want to look away. Scary, isn't it?

With a delectably original script and idea from David Axe and the artistic intuition of Christopher Bickel, this scrappy flick amounted to a gem of a film. Suffice it to say that despite the film being imperfect to some, I don't feel like picking it apart. I have often heard The Theta Girl referred to as "a little film," due to its budget and origins. It just doesn't feel like one.