Extraction, USA

The creators of "Extraction" are natural storytellers. Not only did this film capture the frustration and fear of those exposed to the environmental dangers of fracking, it also made a strong statement for feminism, all while holding the audience's attention with a compelling love story, familial bonds and action. The casting was great, from minor characters to the leads. There are a lot of characters to root for in this film. Strong performances all around. Both Leanne Johnson and Marlee Carpenter are compelling actresses to watch. Another great aspect of the film: albeit subtle, some of the camera angles are quite creative. Well done!

We stumbled upon Extraction, USA and were not disappointed. It's a gritty, low-budget gem with scrappy charm that's hard to resist. Set in the fictional, frack-rattled town of Extraction, the film follows a single mom (Leanne Johnson) and a drifter named Steph (Marlee Carpenter) as they strike up a volatile friendship-and an impulsive criminal partnership. What begins with pool hustling and daydreams of a better life quickly spirals into real stakes.

The chemistry between the two leads anchors the film, while the cinematography elevates it beyond its modest means. Rough around the edges in all the right ways, it's impossible not to root for these underdogs as they stumble through their plans with dark humor, tension, and unexpected twists. An indie film well worth the watch.

So this story is about a single mom in a town that is blue collar but dominated in that industry and everyone else has to fight for the scraps of the economy, making it a class division and building animosity amongst the community members. Through circumstances and scraping by, like pool hustling and whatever she can do to gain a financial edge, Marni, the protagonist, lean further and further into increasing risky criminal acts that can gain financial freedom. She meets a free spirit independent woman who increases these tendencies in her personal life that leads to even higher riskier capers. Fun film with a surprising ending.

You can't help feeling empathy for Marni a single mom trying to raise her reclusive teenage son. It's not before Marni meets Steph, a bird of passage and fellow pool hustler, who instantly wins Marni over, that she can envision a way out of the dead-end oil town.

Writers Peter Matsoukas and Mike Yonts delicately weave the subplot of the queer relationship subplot, which rapidly develops between Marni and Steph into their multifarious script rather than turn the spotlight onto it. It's written to feel conventional to the point that Marni's son never questions their budding love. Instead, we watch their romance, new terrain for Marni, evolve by paralleling their ambitions to find a way out Extraction

Yonts' gritty and vigorous soundtrack flows throughout most of the film much like the crude under the town's grounds. It transpits the synergy created on screen by our duo in the throes of love. A great watch!

Creating Extraction, USA from the ground up as an independent feature film was one of the toughest tasks any of us ever attempted. Like most indie film crews, we put in some long days and endured all sorts of uncertainty about locations, vehicles, and funding. We kept working because we believed in this story of two women who join together against desperate odds to take control of their lives. On one level the film is about crime and action, but if you look a little deeper, it says some interesting things about income inequality, the environment, and men and women in the workplace. The film is full of terrific performances by a big variety of talented actors.

Watch it if you like action/heist movies, gambling movies, or movies with strong women.