Panic Fest Film Festival Coverage
The Buildout review.
A character driven story that reminds us of an important horror lesson: Stay out of the desert.
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
The Buildout
Directed by Zeshaan Younus
Written by Zeshaan Younus
Starring Jenna Kanell, Hannah Alline, Natasha Halevi, Michael Sung Ho, Danielle Evon Ploeger and Ariel Barber
The Buildout Review
Nothing good happens in the desert. At least, it seems, in movies. Film after film has set out to teach us this one simple lesson. Don’t go into the desert. The Buildout has something more personal on its mind…but the lesson remains clear. Bad things happen in the desert.
Cameron (Jenna Kanell) suspects as much before she heads out with her friend Dylan (Hannah Alline). They’re having a last hurrah before Dylan joins her new church at a compound being built in the desert. Dylan isn’t supposed to bring outsiders around the encampment…but she makes an exception for Cameron. Cameron is convinced that Dylan is joining a cult. Her friend is a recovering addict that Cameron believes is trading in one dangerous addiction for another.
The Buildout isn’t really desert horror (although the location allows for some gorgeous cinematography). This is character horror. The chemistry of the two leads must carry every moment of the story. There is an unspoken tension between them for much of the story. We eventually learn why. It’s more than just Cameron’s apprehension at Dylan’s new life choice. In her days as a user Dylan was with Cameron’s sister when she passed away. A lot of character drama awaits in the desert. Buried resentments that won’t remain that way.
Along with some strange things. Strange things happen in the desert. They find the encampment (mostly) deserted. We see some found footage intercut within the story of the people who were at the location before. Those people are now missing. The fear of being stranded combined with ghostly visions begins to plague the friends and threaten the friendship.
But not before The Buildout has some fun with the location. This is a gorgeous first feature for writer/director Zeshaan Younus. It may be a character driven piece…but that doesn’t prevent it from providing beautiful vistas for Cameron and Dylan to dirt bike, converse and ultimately bicker through. Wide open land filled with human complexities and possible otherworldly dread.
As beautiful as The Buildout is…what makes it all work is the performances of its two leads. The slow burn here is less about a grand horrific reveal and more about the simmering tension between Cameron and Dylan. It’s going to boil over. Kanell and Alline do a masterful job building it in a realistic way. They may face some ghosts and some pressing elements…but the real specter attached to them lies in the things they aren’t saying. Until they say them.
As a character piece, The Buildout is an interesting one. You’ll be interested in following the journey of Cameron and Dylan. Even as they head deeper into an empty landscape. Their slowly simmering issues boil hotter than the midday sun they’re facing off with. The mystery of the empty compound takes a firm backseat to the character drama. It’s there to accent it…not to derail it.
All that is to say…The Buildout isn’t your average desert horror film. The setting is beautiful and isolates the characters…forcing them to confront their feats (and each other). But it’s a much quieter experience than, say…The Outwaters. The one thing they have in common is a setting. And a lesson. Bad things happen in the desert.
Scare Value
With beautiful shots and excellent performances, The Buildout succeeds at creating a journey worth taking. Kanell and Alline shine as their characters’ one last hurrah begins to look more and more exactly that. There are plenty of reasons to avoid the desert. The Buildout is more interested in the ghosts we bring in than the ones that may be waiting for us.
