Backwards Faces (2022)

"Backwards Faces follows theoretical physicist, Sydney, who after waking from an underwhelming one-night stand, she wants to leave but cannot help but stay when her mysterious and aloof one night partner, Ken, claims he is from a different universe. Theoretical physics becomes a lot less theoretical when Ken tells her the solution to all life's problems exists within the alleged traversable wormhole through space and time in his bathroom. Self-loathing is taken to a new extreme when Sydney and Ken are forced to reckon with the very worst of their other selves from across the multiverse."

Backwards Faces feels like a lovely stage play put to film format, which doesn't always translate well, but Chris Aresco (director) executes it perfectly. The dialog & comedic musing feels reminiscent of Waiting for Godot in its lofty pursuit of nothing, yet ultimately rewards the viewer for having taken the journey into that nowhere with our listless leads.

The bathroom serves as the hanging rope, for which our characters Sydney and Ken can use to escape the lives they no longer want with the hopes of finding somewhere where happiness is more than likely guaranteed but only after paying a gruesome price to secure it, the promise of a new world with better choices made is the carriage that never comes. But the issue is inherently; Change your looks, change your life, switch a job, change your wife, yet you are still the same so the problems will remain.

This is a minimalistic film in regards to the number of locations and actors. It is dialog driven, but thoroughly entertaining.

Lennon Sickels' portrayal of the Sydney's is positively delightful, her physical presence commands respect, she has a way of making a stage script sound melodic and theatrical, and her comedic timing is impeccable. Andrew Morra does a wonderful job of conveying the Ken's various dispositions ranging from deviant to doofy. The two together have wonderful chemistry together managing to bring us an intimate viewing experience, carrying the story to a strong and oddly rewarding ending. I hope to see both Lennon and Andrew in more films as I have no doubt that any project that they are part of will be better for it.

It makes perfect sense that Backwards Faces was part of the official selection for the 2022 Other Worlds Film Festival. I truly enjoyed it and I intend to pre-order it to add to my physical media collection.