In the depths of the Southern California desert, Dylan (Hannah Alline) sees an opportunity to take in the Lord’s majestic creation and continue to build a community with the religious group that has taken her in and accepted her for who she is. It is through The Buildout’s first scenes that viewers come to grasp the nature of Dylan’s new home. Instead of a cozy village where people find solace in an environment with “no more distraction and no more compromise,” what awaits her is a tent filled with enigmatic maps and spiritual discoveries made by Cleric Kanner (Natasha Halevi) and Cleric Barrow (Michael Sung-Ho). In Zeshaan Younus’ feature directorial debut, viewers are invited into this eerie atmosphere, longing to unpack what could’ve possibly led Dylan to leave everything behind and start over alongside strangers.
Although this indie thriller displays an intriguing premise — focusing on the hefty journey that Dylan embarks on accompanied by her worried, long-term friend Cameron (Terrifier star Jenna Kanell) — it doesn’t dig deep into the intricacies of the cult the protagonist is so eager to join. These missing puzzle pieces prevent The Buildout from having a lasting impact on the audience, who are anxious to understand more about the complexity of what Dylan is signing up for. It instead keeps its sights on the main character’s relationship with Cameron, who is afraid of what her friend is getting into and can’t bear to lose another important person in her life.
‘The Buildout’s Camerawork and Unnerving Score Set the Tone for This Spiritual Ride

Image via Ethos Releasing

Despite the film’s shallow narrative, Younus’ decision to shoot it with a blend of handhelds, bodycams, and camcorders makes the perspective here quite interesting. Instead of telling the story entirely through found footage (like The Blair Witch Project) the varying angles provided by these different cameras allow for intimate moments between the audience and the lead characters while also providing a full grasp of the desert that surrounds them. When Dylan and Cameron record their experiences riding motorbikes in the dry and rocky hills or speak straight to the camera about their thoughts and feelings, we come to understand their bond and why they would be game for a trip to an uncertain destination. Dylan’s search for belonging stems from her struggles recovering from addiction, hoping that relocating will allow her to further connect with God in exchange for the cleansing of her sins. Although Cameron is an atheist and doesn’t completely understand why her friend would move into the desert to find her people, she refrains from voicing her concerns until things start taking a dramatic turn.

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In addition to the effective camerawork, The Buildout also features an unnerving score, which makes the movie go from a purely dramatic piece to a thriller. The more time Dylan and Cameron spend in the desert, the more they begin to experience paranormal activities, much like the clerics who traveled before them. If running into the woods in the dark is what horror usually defines as the ideal scenario for a nightmarish experience, riding aimlessly into this extensive desert is just as unsettling, especially once the main characters arrive at their final stop. The score helps to make this viewing more immersive with the way it draws you into this place that is supposed to provide spiritual healing but instead drives people mad. Even if they want to escape the terrors in their midst, the only way out is to continue heading further and further in.
The Film Falters In Its Cult Depiction and Doesn’t Provide Enough Context to Keep the Audience Intrigued

Yet, when the time comes for us to finally see what lies in store for Dylan in the place that she was so excited about moving into, this thriller hits the curb. The multiple questions that viewers may have while watching the characters on their journey to finding the religious community’s base camp are unfortunately left unanswered. The Buildout’s ambiguous look at the cult keeps the story superficial, and likely forgettable after the credits start rolling. Embarking on these dunes under extreme heat with this duo isn’t as rewarding as it may seem when there is no further context about the group Dylan is connected with.
The community’s beliefs are never fully laid out, other than the fact that they frequently mention God, and provide parallels between Jesus’ journey into the desert and their own. From brief monologs uttered by the clerics through their audio recordings, it is hinted that the decision behind relocating to this setting is simply to live a fulfilling life closer to the Lord, who they believe has directed them there through divine visions. If more information was presented about the cult the main character is a part of, and what was so appealing about their extremism, The Buildout would’ve achieved its full potential.
Overall, Younus’ directorial effort is engaging to an extent, displaying the lengths to which a vulnerable person longing to be understood can go to achieve a sense of belonging. In agreeing to leave everything behind, including the friend who was so willing to accompany her on this deranged trip, Dylan reaches a point of no return. As she comes to realize that her idealizations haven’t been met, the film becomes just as stale as its protagonist. By failing to lean into the cult element that it presents in its very first frame, The Buildout s clever camerawork and disturbing score aren’t enough to save this odyssey from feeling like a fever dream. Although Alline and Kanell are able to evoke both the care and restraint of their characters’ friendship to the point that viewers want to root for them to find whatever it is they’re looking for, the film’s resolution leaves no food for thought. This in turn makes their journey into the abyss far from worthwhile.
The Buildout is available on VOD now.

The Buildout

Hannah Alline and Jenna Kanell roam the desert in a thriller that never digs into its spiritual undertones.

Release Date

November 4, 2023

Director

Zeshaan Younus

Writers

Zeshaan Younus

Producers

Sailor Larocque, Nicholas Thurkettle, Trevor Dillon

Pros & Cons

Zeshaan Younus’ feature debut is elevated by camerawork and visually stimulating cinematography.
The score adds intensity to the protagonists’ odyssey.
Alline and Kanell’s performances allow for their characters’ relationship to feel authentic.

Despite the seemingly intriguing premise, the film fails to make the religious group three-dimensional.
By the end, viewers are left with more questions than answers.
The film would’ve benefitted from more explanations as to why Dylan was so drawn to the cult.