LONE RIDER (2026)

June 26, 2026

Dances With Films LA – closing night film

Greetings again from the darkness. We discover a certain guilty pleasure in following a lost soul millennial as he searches for meaning, connection, or some reason to exist. The film from writer-director Adam Jumba and co-writer Christian Flowers is one of the closing night films for this year’s Dances With Films LA festival, and it’s likely to generate plenty of thought and consideration for viewers.

Jack Alcott never really clicked in “Dexter: New Blood”, but this role as chain-smoking Tyler fits him like a glove. He seems frustrated by everything and nothing, all at the same time. Is he a slacker or a dreamer? Initially, we can’t tell; however, it doesn’t take long to get a better feel for him and what he’s thinking. He’s bored with his job at the marina, yet he’s not ambitious enough to prove himself or pursue something better. Two young new hires make him realize time is passing quickly. He stops by a boarded-up ice cream shop where a flashback shows he once hung out with friends, and even had a silent crush on Alice (Rose Reid).

These last two events convince Tyler to head back home to rural Pennsylvania. His perceptive sister Erica (Izabela Vidovic) is happy to see him, while his dad (Michael Gaston) offers no warmth, while holding strong to his demands for full payment on Tyler’s beloved 1989 Mustang that holds most of his fond memories. A younger brother is the true definition of a do-nothing teenager … the kind whose video games can’t even be interrupted for greeting a returning older brother.

Tyler “steals’ the car under the cloak of darkness, and it sets him off on a personal journey with no specific destination in mind. Without admission (or even acknowledgment) Tyler is in the midst of self-discovery, and with that comes some emotional pain. Director Jumba utilizes a scrambled timeline to help us better understand Tyler and the path he took to get to this point. Tyler tries to re-live past fun with a friend, but finds out ‘Ring and Stare’ (a form of ding dong ditch) doesn’t translate well to adulthood. And a reunion with Alice merely clears the air without being life-changing. We are a bit relieved (and hopeful) when Tyler gives a lift to some tourists looking for the beach. All of this comes after a really cool opening where Tyler absorbs nighttime radio … a DJ who is both soothing and insightful. Wearing loneliness on one’s sleeve guarantees neither a life of misery, nor an ability to dig out of one. 

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

FIRST REFORMED (2018)

May 31, 2018

 Greetings again from the darkness. “A crisis of faith” is merely the tip of the theological iceberg in this gripping, thought-provoking, debate-inspiring oddity from legendary filmmaker Paul Schrader. Mr. Schrader has long specialized in messed up/conflicted gents struggling in a world-gone-wrong in films like HARDCORE (1979), AMERICAN GIGOLO (1980), AFFLICTION (1997), and AUTO FOCUS (2002). Of course he is best known for his TAXI DRIVER (1976) and RAGING BULL (1980) screenplays. This latest is his best work in years, though few will likely describe it as entertaining.

Ethan Hawke digs deep in his performance as Toller, a former military Chaplain now relegated to caretaker for a small church whose historical marker informs us was organized in 1767 and built in 1802. Although Toller has a very small congregation, the church itself is now mostly a tourist stop and throwback to the days of rural community churches.

Thanks to Toller reading us his daily journal entries, we know that he is already dealing with doubt and grief even before Mary (whose name is no coincidence) approaches him about speaking with her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger). Toller’s teetering emotional stability is further jolted by a mesmerizing talk with Michael, whose work as an environmental activist/extremist leaves him unable to reconcile bringing a child into this doomed world … despite his wife Mary (an excellent Amanda Seyfried) being pregnant. (Though no further proof is needed that I should never offer counseling to confused folks, I couldn’t help but wonder why Toller didn’t challenge Michael on why he risks having sex if he is so adamant against making a baby.)

With Michael’s global and societal warnings piling on Toller’s personal tragedy and disintegrated marriage, he sinks deeper into his funk and deeper into the bottle. There is also the pressure of the upcoming 250 year reconsecration ceremony and the expectations of Abundant Life’s Pastor Jeffers (Cedric the Entertainer in perfect casting). Abundant Life stands in for all of the mega-churches that specialize in money grabbing these days (more business than religion). Here, big money is represented by billionaire industrialist Edward Balq (played by a less than patient Michael Gaston). He is truly the higher power in this relationship.

Toller explains to us that we hold both hope and despair in our thoughts, and that these are life itself. He has an intensity towards life and his role in the church that would make most uncomfortable, if not a bit frightened of and for him. And those concerns would be quite accurate. Some people are just never comfortable in their own skin, and these are often the most intriguing movie characters. Schrader and Hawke ensure that Toller is every bit of that and more. It’s a bleak story with some dark and twisted humor, and it’s shot in old style ratio which adds an element of harshness to every moment. Austere might be the best one word description of the look captured by Schrader, but the story is sure to generate some colorful and intense post-viewing debate … with an open for interpretation ending being the cherry on top. Welcome back Mr. Schrader and kudos to Mr. Hawke.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson