American Woman

American Woman 2025 represents a new disturbing trend in product marketing, generally. Knowing in advance that the quality of the final product will be less than expected, the creators/makers pre-budget an excessive amount for post-production promotion, relying on influencers, fake reviews, clickbait, etc. To balance the scales. American Woman is a good example. It is a pretty awful low-budget effort, a masterclass in bad acting, bad writing, and a very weak end product. Nonetheless, early in the release cycle, a veritable army of reviewers suddenly appear on IMDb, each trying to convince you this is Oscar material, at the very least. Ultimately, "top-loading" reviews always fails. But it is still an amazing phenomenon. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Artie Siegal's latest film AMERICAN WOMAN delivers the goods even on a micro budget. The lead actress was solid and definitely carried the film. My other favorite was actor Joe Rosing who was the other half that carries this film. Joe is excellent in this and has a great body of work to prove this. Some cool experimental shots and concepts in this film made it fresh. Exciting action, cool story, great cast, slick direction and strong score was all involved in making this film a great watch. I'm looking forward to Artie's next film and I can definitely see a sequel to this. Support this film and support indie films!!

American Woman (2025) is a bold, if flawed, attempt at indie filmmaking that strives for emotional depth but stumbles over its own ambition. Filmed on a shoestring budget, this drama attempts to chart the inner life of a struggling mother in rural America-but never quite finds its footing.

The most immediate challenge is the acting. Performances across the board feel wooden and unconvincing, with dialogue often delivered in flat, uninflected tones. It's clear that the cast lacked the experience or direction needed to elevate the material, and unfortunately, that lack of polish makes it difficult to invest in the characters' journeys.

Visually, the film has a raw, unfiltered aesthetic that could have worked in its favor, echoing the realism of early John Cassavetes or Kelly Reichardt's quiet portraits of working-class life. However, inconsistent lighting, awkward camera angles, and occasional audio issues distract from the atmosphere the director is clearly aiming for.

Where American Woman does deserve credit is in its heart. The story-centered around perseverance in the face of economic hardship-is timely and earnest. There are glimpses of genuine emotion, especially in moments where silence and stillness do the heavy lifting. The screenplay, while occasionally overwritten, contains kernels of sharp social commentary that hint at what this film could have been with a more experienced team and a bit more budget.

In the end, American Woman (2025) is a commendable effort that doesn't quite deliver. It serves as a reminder that passion can't always compensate for execution-but it's also proof that even flawed films can carry sparks of something real.

Watch "AMERICAN WOMAN" and brace yourself as a grieving woman's descent into madness grabs you by the throat and rarely lets go.

Molly Reese (Katelin Slack, "Evil Lurks," "Vic Effects") is a doctor whose entire family is killed in a car accident. Although consumed with grief, a twist of fate drives her to channel her rage into training herself to be a cold-blooded and highly efficient killer.

Everyone knows the Shakespearean quote "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" but this movie proves that in fact "Hell hath no fury like a woman grieving her family." And it is with a hellish fury that Molly begins to hunt down members of the local mob. (Why? Watch the movie, no spoilers here!) At times the movie plays like an art house film, as the cinematography becomes eerily hallucinogenic and pulls the viewer into the the mind of a killer psycho mama.

Katelin Stack is one of my favorite actors and this is definitely a bravura performance for her! I recognize several others in the cast whose work I've long admired: Joe Rosing, Larry Biela, and Stacey Miner chief among them. Add to that the film includes another exceptional performance from the always delightful Delilah Hefner! ("It Came From Somewhere," "Attack of the Corn Zombies.") Written & directed by Artie Siegel, who also plays a fascinating character called "Rat." Cinematography by another DP whose work I admire, Jeremy Applebaum who gives the film just the right look and feel which elevates the overall movie to a whole new level that is the primary reason the film works as well as it does.

Definitely looking forward to seeing what comes next from Mr. Siegel.

A boldly dark edge-of-your-seat thriller with a challenging female lead who meets the challenge with a carefully gauged descent into outright madness. At times serious, at times crazy funny, a busy visual feast for even the best of filmmakers, and especially challenging for a first time full length feature filmmaker striking out into a world of such heavy competition. But Artie Siegel doesn't shy away or veer from the seriousness of his well authored account, and that mature focus serves him and his film and its talented newcomer actors very well indeed, especially Katelin Stack who delivers a terrific performance carrying most of the often disturbing narrative. The hand held camera does a great job supporting the film's intensely conceived plot.