Review: CHASERS ~ From Sundance to Slamdance

In an era where "hustle culture" has become both a lifestyle and a punchline, CHASERS arrives as a timely examination of young creatives navigating the treacherous waters of Los Angeles's entertainment scene. This ambitious 31-minute pilot, shot in one continuous take, serves as both technical achievement and pointed commentary on the exploitation inherent in the pursuit of creative dreams.

Director Erin Brown Thomas, collaborating with lead actress and co-writer Ciarra Krohne, has crafted a genuinely compelling "traumedy" - a genre-bending approach where comedy serves as a disarming facade for deeper emotional wounds. The story unfolds at a lively Los Angeles house party where Sophia (Krohne, delivering a sympathetic portrait of innocence, confusion, and vulnerability) attempts to navigate both her creative ambitions as a musician and the uncertainties of a budding romance with Jacob (Louie Chapman). In the swirl of the party, her seemingly simple goal to get an evasive Jacob to commit becomes a lens through which the film examines larger themes of validation and self-worth in a city built on dreams.

The single-shot technique is quite impressive in its execution (kudos to cinematographer Beth Napoli), effectively mirroring the relentless forward momentum of its characters' pursuits, never allowing the audience a moment to catch their breath – much like the aspiring artists it portrays. The inclusion of a flash mob and flashback sequence within this format demonstrates both technical prowess and narrative imagination.

What emerges through Sophia's interactions with her animated peers - each entangled in their own pursuits and delusions - is a sharp commentary on the collective struggles of young creatives. The pilot cleverly uses Jacob's hot-and-cold behavior as a metaphor for the entertainment industry itself: alluring, inconsistent, and often emotionally manipulative. Through Sophia's story, Thomas pointedly critiques how women in particular are conditioned to accept toxic behavior as the price of admission to their dreams, whether in relationships or careers.

The pilot's strength lies in its understanding of how hope can be weaponized. Through flashy dialogue and dark humor, it exposes how industries and relationships can manipulate ambition, turning vulnerability into a commodity. The original song Dream Alive by Phoebe Ryan, scored by Daniel Rufolo and Adam Kromelow, reinforces these themes musically.

Erin Brown Thomas succeeds brilliantly in blending genres, particularly in her integration of dance elements that serve both narrative and thematic purposes. She has crafted a nuanced exploration of how boundaries become movable in the face of ambition, forcing viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about the culture of success. Her artistic vision, which this reviewer had the privilege of observing in her short film But First at the Sedona International Film Festival six years ago, has clearly magnified with time.

True to the spirit of traumedy, the pilot ends with an emotional gut punch and the implicit promise that future episodes will unveil equally dramatic twists and turns in Sophia's journey. By virtue of its pace and distinctive characters - highly relatable to a young generation of up-and-comers - CHASERS has the potential to develop into a compelling series. Its greatest achievement may be in forcing viewers to question not just the nature of "making it," but the profound personal costs we're conditioned to accept along the way.

After its Sundance Film Festival premiere in January, CHASERS will be featured at the 31st Slamdance Film Festival in Los Angeles, running February 20-26, 2025 at venues throughout Hollywood, including the Landmark Theatres and the DGA Theater Complex.

Photo credit to Erin Brown Thomas – L to R: Louie Chapman, Ciarra Krohne

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