The Theta Girl

The Theta Girl was shot by a neophyte director with an amateur cast and a budget of $14,000. Normally, script aside, you'd expect this to translate to horrible audio and over-lit, harsh "soap opera" visuals with terrible shot composition.

This is absolutely not the case here. The Theta Girl ranges from gritty, dark streets to warm sunlit gardens, and the visuals never skip a beat. The overall visual motif is grindhouse and grainy - and it's achieved flawlessly. The shot composition is good, and the audio is frankly fantastic. Technically, this movie was a hell of an accomplishment regardless of budget - it feels more authentic than Tarantino's grindhouse, without feeling cheap. The soundtrack is also really excellent, and integrates well into the feel of the film as well as its story.

The story itself isn't perfect - in particular, some of the characters with the most screen time just aren't well developed - and the acting can be a little hit and miss. Both are far better than you'd expect from an indie shoestring horror flick though. The premise is genuinely interesting, and the cast clearly cares about what they're doing. Probably the biggest legitimate complaint would be the fight choreography, which is next to nonexistent - but the film is strong enough to stand without it.

If you get the chance, do yourself a favor and watch The Theta Girl. It's a wicked trip.

Many of the positive reactions to this film have centered around the surprise that such a satisfying product could come from such a low budget. My surprise was, from the first screening I viewed, from the feeling this movie left in me—the reminder that consciousness has shared aspects, and that we act within that shared consciousness separately based on personal motivations. We even assume we are experiencing the same reality. This movie never felt cheap in a way that detracted from its aesthetic—rather it felt raw, vibrant and genuine as it explored this theme. Experiencing the effects of theta will make you scratch your head for days after. With a fast paced story captured in very real and unembellished, yet dramatic Columbia backdrops, an emotional plot brought to life by well-interpreted, believable characters, and a captivating and energetic soundtrack, The Theta Girl makes it a pleasure to be sucked into thinking about your own experience with reality. How improved or endangered would the world be, were a drug to be able to tap into consciousness like Theta does? Here we find it could be quite sick, and we don't want to look away. Scary, isn't it?

With a delectably original script and idea from David Axe and the artistic intuition of Christopher Bickel, this scrappy flick amounted to a gem of a film. Suffice it to say that despite the film being imperfect to some, I don't feel like picking it apart. I have often heard The Theta Girl referred to as "a little film," due to its budget and origins. It just doesn't feel like one.

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to view this fantastic little indie film recently and must say that not only is it possibly the best independent film of 2017 but possible one of the best examples of low budget film making EVER! Filmed with such energy, imagination and flair that its hard to not to fall instantly in love with the film's charms (and shocks - as it has it's share). The film bends and expands across different film genres whilst staying completely cohesive, strutting it's stuff on it's own two feet with ease - at times feeling like a nightmarish acid trip that you are very much a part of. Gripping, fun, offbeat, gory, engrossing, stylish and original. See it!

Well written, paced and acted, this low budget film is incredibly creative and beautiful. Victoria Elizabeth has the face of a silent film star. This thing needs to be distributed worldwide on all platforms possible. Christopher Bickel is brilliant in his debut as a director. I hope to see more from him in the near future.

With the face of Theda Bara, and the attitude of Mila Jovovich, Victoria E. Donofrio does the Horror Heroine genre justice on many levels as Gayce, The Theta Girl.

A classic in the making, The Theda Girl, plays on the model theme of religious extremism versus the gritty underground, that seems as relevant now as the time period the style of the movie gives tribute to, and yet creates familiarity between protagonist and antagonist with a shared "vision" of the end of the world.

For a meager $14,000, Christopher Bickel and David Axe have managed to bring an intriguing, well versed, and visually spectacular piece of independent Cinema to fruition.

Exceptional debut for Director, Chris Bickel. We are all looking forward to him refining his technique and bringing forth more sensational Cinema.