There is a beauty to indie filmmaking, particularly when the creatives involved prove that it doesn’t take a big budget to craft a mind-bending feat. Gazer, a thriller shot on 16 mm by first-time filmmaker Ryan J. Sloan, keeps the audience on edge by making them rely on the perspective of an unreliable subject. The film’s introductory scene paints a picture of what a day in the life of Frankie Rhodes (Ariella Mastroianni), a woman with a rare brain condition. With black earbuds on, listening to a self-recorded cassette tape, the protagonist follows her instructions to focus on what she sees so that she doesn’t experience another lapse in memory. As her gaze shifts to the sights across the street, she sees a silhouette of two people arguing inside an apartment building. Right when one of them is about to attack the other, Frankie’s attention is brought back to an angry driver, waiting impatiently for her to fill up his tank.
Before she can give another peek at the individuals she was involuntarily spying on, the main character is fired from the gas station for consistently wandering off while on the job. Unaware of what to do next, or rather, if what she saw was even real, viewers are left to wonder if that singular event could come back to haunt her. This instigating incident is the hook for a neo-noir title that is both ambitious and grounded. Operating at a slow-burning pace, Sloan’s feature debut benefits from a promising script, which he wrote alongside the film’s lead actress, and stylistic sequences that together make for a remarkable, self-funded endeavor.
Frankie’s Treacherous Blackouts Keep the Suspense Alive

Not long after Gazer’s opening, it is revealed that Frankie suffers from dyschronometria, which prevents her from accurately keeping track of time. To make matters worse, she only has a few months left to live, making it her mission to raise funds for her and her daughter to spend their last moments together. While attending a support group session, Frankie crosses paths with the woman (played by Renee Gagner) she remembers seeing on the night she was fired. As the two of them go out for dinner afterward, the woman (who calls herself Paige) offers the protagonist 3,000 dollars if she is able to break into her apartment, steal her car from the garage, and park it kilometers away, so that she can flee from her abusive brother. Without other options at her disposal, the main character accepts the proposition, only to later find out that she might’ve signed up for a plan with lethal consequences.

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Given the fact that Frankie is unable to carry on with her everyday affairs without listening to a tape, it seems impossible for her to orchestrate a heist while also maintaining her notion of when and where she is. Although she proves to be capable of completing the task, it doesn’t take long for her to black out again, only to wake up and notice that the trunk of the car is wide open and there is no sign of Paige with the money she promised. As the film progresses, it is the unpredictability of Frankie’s condition that keeps the plot suspenseful. After all, much like the lead, viewers are unable to distinguish how long she’s been unconscious for and what happened when her mind wasn’t focused on the present. The lack of information allows the audience to fill in the blanks for themselves, making their experience watching Gazer more active than passive. The script is also clever in revealing only breadcrumbs of the underlying mystery. Certain clues are placed at strategic moments in the film, so that when the plot twists do happen, they have the intended impact.
‘Gazer’s Voyeuristic Dream Sequences Are Visually Stunning, But Displaced

Sloan’s feature debut also uses color and lighting to its advantage. Whenever Frankie is awake and aware of her surroundings, the scenes are enveloped with cool tones. Yet, whenever she is or is close to zoning out, an orange gradient kicks in subtly. This stylistic approach allows for a better understanding of the character’s situation and how that affects her ability to remain in control. The color and lighting go hand-in-hand with Mastroianni’s performance, making the latter even more captivating. After all, Frankie always looks exhausted and on the verge of falling asleep no matter where she is. For the audience to keep tabs on her state of mind, the use of color and lighting are valuable assets.
Still, although the film has some unexpected twists and effectively uses its visual elements to further the narrative, the dream sequences aren’t as neatly interwoven with the main character’s journey. Whenever Frankie falls asleep, she experiences vivid dreams that try to signal what could’ve happened to her late husband. At the beginning of the film, we learn that, due to her condition, she is unaware of what could’ve led to his murder (even whether she might be to blame). Her surreal dreams seem to be her brain’s way of helping her come to terms with this traumatic event she has no recollection of. Yet, when the credits start to roll, it’s impossible not to feel disappointed at how these scenes don’t add to the premise, nor do they help the character reach a conclusion as to what truly led to her partner’s death.
This aside, Gazer can be deemed an impressive filmmaking debut. With a limited budget and a lot of dedication to the craft, the project is able to build on its references to thrillers from the ’70s and ’80s while finding its own footing. The protagonist might have a short attention span given her neurological impairment, but viewers will be gripped to the very end.
Gazer premieres in select theaters on April 4.

Gazer

Ryan J. Sloan’s impressive, low budget feature debut follows a woman with a rare brain condition.

Release Date

April 4, 2025

Runtime

114 Minutes

Director

Ryan J. Sloan

Writers

Ryan J. Sloan, Ariella Mastroianni

Ariella Mastroianni

Frankie Rhodes

Pros & Cons

Frankie’s blackouts make the film suspenseful and the audience engaged.
The script lays the groundwork for ‘Gazer’s plot twists.
The use of color and lighting allow for there to be a better understanding of when the main character is unconscious or not.
It uses references from old-school thrillers, but has its own identity.

The dream sequences aren’t as effective in revealing what happened to Frankie’s husband.