Directed by Garth Twa (Tremble and Quake) and Dave Bergeson (Wheels Locked) and written by Twa, Exterior Day is a little gem.
The story presents the quintessential Hollywood dilemma: one is only as good as their last film. So the angst is unleashed when their mid-life protagonist, Blake (Twa), learns he may have just given his last performance. Desperate, he tries to convince his agent, Maggie, (Natalie Dolishny), to land him one last part before he settles into an inconsequential existence - even if the role requires him to disrobe.
Save for the appearance of a drone and cell phone, with the quivering theremin in the opening track, monochromatic images, and limited environs, Bergeson and Twa create an atmosphere that feels timeless and effectively focuses the viewer's attention on the characters and their dilemma.
Dolishny gives a commanding performance and had me imagining with delight what she will do when given the opportunity to spread her wings in a full-length feature. Navigating the Hollywood hills in her convertible, she attempts to explain to Blake that he's reached his expiration date and she's prepared to extricate herself from the relationship. She does so while fielding infuriating phone calls, her responses to which, cleverly, (and offensively) get mixed in with her dialogue with Blake.
Bergeson is also convincing as Blake's (perhaps only) obsessed fan. Newcomer, Grace Harris, plays a mysterious, angelic girl who intuits Blake's need for consolation and offers her (partially eaten) ice cream cone only to be rebuffed.
Reportedly shot in a single afternoon on an iPhone, Exterior Day is an admirable accomplishment. The buzz is that in 2022, Twa, who is a graduate of the venerated USC Film program, will make his debut as a feature writer-director with his much-anticipated original screenplay, Ethan and Arlo, a road film set in 1974.
