Minor Premise
UTOPIADirector, Eric Schultz’s debut feature is a film that is filled with engaging and thought-provoking concepts, enhanced by a strong lead performance from Sathya Sridharan who carries the heavy themes immaculately.
With Ethan attempting to remove himself from the shadow of his recently deceased father, he engages with the typical sci-fi trope of implementing his technological experiment far too early, using himself as a test dummy. The hope is to be able to use his new tech to single out specific areas of the human consciousness, the aspects of our being that makes us who we are, aiming to contort these emotions into one ideal of perfection. However, issues begin to arise as the machine fails in its initial goal. Rather than isolating single aspects, it has given each of the nine sections of the brain a vessel, with Ethan blacking out each time a new section takes the reigns of the mind and body.
The premise here is solid, and could certainly work in a more over-the-top genre film, perhaps opting to follow the horror path like something akin to Split. Yet Minor Premise takes this concept and leads it into a far more thrilling direction than many of its counterparts. Narratively, it does fall into the tropes of the puzzle film, often divulging in the non-linear narrative structure therefore giving the piece a deep element of uncertainty throughout. The blackouts Ethan succumbs to are used by Schultz to aid in this direction, with the timeframe being fairly disjointed as Ethan scrambles along with fellow researcher and ex-lover, Ali (Paton Ashbrook). This is to ensure that the darkest depths of Ethan’s psyche do not take control as well as aiming to stop the brain from entering total collapse. The entire narrative is given a great deal of urgency due to this impending point of failure that the film presents early on, allowing the film to maintain a swift pace without getting bogged down in scientific lingo.
The alternating personas that Ethan grapples with do not give the same purpose in Minor Premise as they do in do not again aim for the mentioned goals films such as Split. Sridharan’s performance is a far more reserved affair with only a couple of the personas having true distinctive traits to separate them from one another. These small details all make for a somewhat slow burn in the first half of the film but result in a last act that is incredibly gripping. It is sure to leave a solid impression in its final moments with many of the deeper emotional roots of Ethan being shrouded in mystery.
Even with Dana Ashbrook of Twin Peaks feeling somewhat wasted here, being given a very minor role, Minor Premise offers a fascinating dive into the psyche of human nature that is only aided by the fantastic production value and a stand-out lead performance, culminating in a head-scratching piece that may require repeat viewings.
