Exemplum is a gripping thriller, and a promising first feature for up-and-coming director Paul Roland. I first heard about the film when Roland was a guest on a podcast I follow. The idea of a modern noir thriller from the vantage point of a struggling Catholic priest intrigued me.
I watched the film on Tubi and was blown away. Just a few weeks before seeing Exemplum I had watched Christopher Nolan's first feature, Following, and was very much reminded of it when seeing Exemplum. Both films make important moral points, but the unique aspect of Exemplum's innate morality is its association with the Catholic Church (Roland himself is Catholic, and plays the film's lead role). What happens when a priest has had enough and begins to blackmail members of his parish? How far can a game of cat and mouse go when you have the power to ruin the reputation of people who entrusted themselves to you religiously? The film grapples with the responsibility of religious leaders (and everyone for that matter) in bearing the burdens of others, while also bearing our own load. During moments of faith crisis, whether that be theological, anthropological, or both, Exemplum is a reminder that desperate men are capable of desperate and detrimental things.
Though the film was shot on digital cameras, Roland made the decision creatively to edit the movie so that it looks like it was shot on 16 mm film. With a 4:3 ratio and the entire film in black & white, the look of Exemplum is timeless. And the fact that Roland and his small crew shot the film on weekends for under $10,000 is stunning considering the film's strong entertainment value.
But what sets Exemplum apart from most indie films is its masterful storytelling. Roland weaves a web of twisted characters, and much like the Godfather or Dark Knight films shows the destruction of its characters through their poor decisions. Morality tales don't always end happily, but witnessing such suffering can always be a positive motivator. Vices are the catalyst of Exemplum and it's storyline, and it will keep you in its grip until the end.
(Exemplum is out now and free to watch on Tubi and YouTube.)
