NOXIOUS * USA 2018 Dir: Kevin Parkinson. 61 mins
“Why would you just cum inside me without asking?” Abysmal soap opera dialogue and scenarios mar this short but dramatically feeble drama pivoting around an unwanted pregnancy. Estella Nelson is central to the film’s flashback structure, unfolding via the police investigation and her interrogation following a scene of fatal violence involving her friends, her cheating boyfriend (Trent Uher) and a dead officer.
An under-nourished study of adultery and ordinary people “just snapping”, it runs a shade less than an hour (minus credits) but feels longer due to flat-footed direction and a total lack of suspense. Uncinematic narrative employment of on-screen texting doesn’t help, and the story is punctuated by poorly staged confrontations and scenes of domestic violence. The one bright note is a highly amusing scene at a gas station featuring a cameo from director Kevin Parkinson.
Review by Steven West