Over the years, Greg Sestero has become something of a renaissance man. While many would climb into their niche and gladly stay in their lane, Sestero has built himself a career on the heels of one of the greatest cinematic atrocities in recent memory. He may always be Mark in our hearts, but he at least is branching out into other avenues.
Aside from his foray into the world of publishing (where he gifted the world The Disaster Artist) Sestero is starting to make his own films. Thanks to the help of many people, we got the admirable effort in Best F(r)iends, a decent showcase for himself and Tommy Wiseau as they look to build and even move on from their post The Room fame. Now Sestero has completely gone on his own, giving us his first solo horror project in Miracle Valley. Based on a cult that actually existed in the scenic Arizona landscape the film was shot in, Sestero churned out the script during a quiet sabbatical to get away from Hollywood and touring for his previous project. What we get is a slow burn film reminiscent of the 70s Grindhouse scene.
The story is simple enough as Sestero and his girlfriend (who definitely appear to be on the outs), are about to spend some time in Southern Arizona along with some friends. Sestero's "David" is looking for an elusive bird that would gift him plenty of monetary fame, but while he is searching he and his girlfriend Sarah stumble upon a weird cult led by the preacher Father Jake. Madness ensues when they find out Sarah has a special blood type the cult has been looking for, and all hell breaks loose in the final third of the film.
The best aspects of the movie is the great care Sestero put into the project. Rather than just live of his name and let his legion of devoted fans lap up anything he makes, he worked for a good year to get the look, sound design and editing to make the film look as legit as it can be. And for the most part, it succeeds. While the film will most likely end up on a streaming service, it is well made and tries to be the best film it can be. I especially liked Rick Edwards, who had the most interesting arc in the film. First he seems like a shoulder to lean on, and next thing you know he is beating people up in all his shirtless glory. What a pro.
Watch this film when you can, for I think you will be satisfied in the final product. Hopefully Sestero takes what he learned from this when he makes his next film.
