Lost Inside

The days of being self quarantined during the Covid Pandemic aren't that far behind us. I can recall the feeling of isolation. Going grocery shopping at 7 am to avoid the crowds. Walking on the opposite side of the street from approaching strangers. And spending long hours indoors, in search of ways to avoid the inevitable boredom. So a movie about an agoraphobic musician rekindles some of that anxiety.

Lost Inside" is the brilliant writing and directing debut for Jeff Hindenach, and it portends great things to come. The film is gently paced and could easily have been adapted from a stage play. It's full of gentle whit, intense conversations, and a great insight into the inner workings of the mind of a recluse. It's also an excellent showcase for three newcomers to the screen: Spencer Scruggs, Garret Ryan, and Serra Naiman. Look out for big things from this talented trio of gifted young actors.

Benji Williams (Scruggs) is a rock star who's had a meteoric career and was considered a one-hit wonder. His days of fame and fortune were numbered due to his difficulty in handling the notoriety that went along with it. The screaming mobs of fans and pushy paparazzi eventually got to him and after a couple of infamous incidents, he completely withdrew and hid in an apartment, out of the public eye and scrutiny. We catch up with him after five years of self-imposed isolation.

We meet Benji, suffering from an extreme case of agoraphobia. He never leaves his apartment, and is spooked by someone knocking at his door, even when it's just a delivery person. The hermit spends his days watching TV, playing video games, and occasionally having zoom calls with a therapist, which doesn't seem to be helping him much. Just the thought of leaving his apartment terrorizes him. We learn that over the five years he's been cooped up, much has happened. His girlfriend left him, his fans are trying to discover his whereabouts, and his mother passed away. Due to his condition, he missed her funeral and we find him occasionally chatting with her urn.

Out of the blue, a complete stranger suddenly appears in his apartment. In reality, Jordan (Ryan) is Benji's alter ego. He's a quick-whitted, smart Alec whose constant banter is a bit of a comic relief in the film. Obviously he knows everything about Benji and he knows just what to say to get under his skin. Jordan pops up when we least suspect it, like sitting on the toilet when Benji's taking a shower. Or chiming in when Benji's trying to talk to someone else. It also drives Benji nuts when he flicks his cigarette ashes into his mother's urn.

Then one day, a pretty young woman knocks on his door. It's his new neighbor Sylvia (Naiman), who's just moved in next door. She's a vibrant, chatty character determined to get Benji to overcome his fear of the outside, no matter how long it takes. They begin their relationship by sitting in their respective doorways, playing a game where they try to toss pieces of fruit into each other's glasses of wine. Scruggs does a totally convincing job displaying the pain he's going through in attempting to break out of his paranoia. It's almost painful watching his facial distortions. You can't help but wonder if Sylvia has some ulterior motive for befriending and helping Benji.

As you'd expect in a film that takes place in basically one location, you really get a sense of claustrophobia. This is aided by the astute camerawork of Unnikrishnan Raveendranathen (try saying that name three times quickly). The movie was filmed during the heart of the pandemic, so it naturally relies heavily on a tight screenplay and great acting. Mr. Hindenach's first film succeeds brilliantly and I look forward to see where he goes from here.

A lot of awareness regarding mental health issues has been raised recently, thanks to the internet. I was not aware of this movie, nor anyone suggested me. Being someone who is currently going through kind of something like the lead character in the movie, it hit me hard. I teared up at places since I have so much to relate to this story. I loved Jordan. I know it sounds weird but I also have these imaginary/self-created people around me who would often push me to do things. I will not spoil much of the story but if you are someone who is going through some tough issues, watch this movie. It's a challenging subject, but the writer/director tried to convey the message in a light, fun, and impactful way. Although at times it does feel like the acting could have been better, and you kind of feel like a youtube-movie kind of vibe, but it's still worth it. In the end it gave me hope and made me think about my personal issues a little. Watch it for the story and thought-provoking message. I wish there were more movies about male mental health, like this. The writer not only considered the main phobia of the main character but also the grief, social anxiety, depression, and confusion that it all caused inside his head. I loved it.

This is some odd combination of curious, unusual, somewhat inventive and perhaps ridiculous. The story of a one hit rock star who received an onslaught of fame and fans that he could not handle so he retreats from the public eye and becomes agoraphobic. Agoraphobia is a mental health issue which I doubt would be brought on by this scenario given he's a performer, but I'm no doctor. Then there is the fact that he has stretched this extreme, enclosed in a tiny apartment in what sounds like a big city for five straight years, when suddenly pops up an alter ego that he first rejects, then reluctantly communicates with followed a want and then a need for. It's a three person cast and they all do well, but the highlight here is an actor with exactly one feature film credit (this one), Garret Ryan, as the figment of the rock star's imagination, though to be honest I got a tad lost as to why the imaginary guy looks like the singer on the magazine cover and not the "real" guy. In any event, Ryan is quite entertaining and funny and the highlight of this little indie oddity about two sides of one personality needing to coalesce.