Public Freakout

Who among us hasn’t seen a meltdown at a gas station? What director Julia Bales captures in this combustible drama is nothing short of magnificent; it’s the type of fully realized storytelling that feels like a camera stumbled upon the situation as it transpired. The writing is sharp; the cinematography is thoughtful; each and every performance is this wonderful organic caricature of a person (with Sherri Parker Lee bringing particular nuance to her character Lisa). Each detail of this film feels thoughtful, each feels intentional; the film feels like a strange documentary because of how real it is. Julia Bales makes a film that finds humanity in high stress moments, and in so doing makes a terrific portrait of modern life.

Christopher Francis, Associate Programmer