From Omeleto.
A man receives a message.
A COTTON MOON is used with permission from Zack Hosseini. Learn more at https://zackhosseini.com.
Deacon is a loner who has isolated himself from his loved ones and the rest of the world. He makes money as a ride-share driver, which is his only interaction with people, allowing him to see humanity at its most broken or cynical. When not working, he watches cryptic late-night broadcasts from a mysterious entity called the Shepherd.
One night, he gets a message that seems aimed just for him from the Shepherd. Deacon is soon ushered into a new sense of power and purpose — which he must deploy towards dark acts to prove his faith and devotion.
Directed and written by Zack Hosseini, this short drama explores the concept of faith through the lens of a psychological thriller. A feckless, aimless loner is adrift in life, alienated from much of humanity. But as he immerses himself in the "gospel" of a late-night preacher-like figure on television, he finds a sense of meaning. But while he feels anchored, his certainty makes him more dangerous and zealous — enough to take action.
With its muted dark colors and hazy shadows and its preoccupation with the desolate emptiness of city streets, the film evokes classic stories of alienation, moral decay and obsession like TAXI DRIVER. Deacon is a lost soul like Travis Bickle, antisocial and in need of a purpose. The storytelling is impressionistic at first, blurring past and present and weaving a miasma of images, sensations and moments. All of these evoke Deacon’s unmoored state of mind: lost, disconnected, depressed and hopeless, despite his sister Mary’s attempts to contact him.
The momentum coalesces gradually, particularly when Deacon gets a message from the Shepherd, played by Oscar-nominated actor Eric Roberts with charisma and confidence. Deacon becomes energized by his immersion in the Shepherd’s ideas, all of which explain his disgust with the world and endow him with a sense of superiority and righteousness. The Shepherd’s message also gives Deacon meaning and enough solidity of self to act on his beliefs. But when the Shepherd demands proof of Deacon’s belief by committing a horrific act, Deacon reaches a breaking point that pushes the limits of his newfound faith.
By this point, what began as a moody, introspective character portrait escalates with considerable tension, pushing A COTTON MOON into genuinely suspenseful territory. It’s propulsive and exciting, but it also sets up resonant, nuanced questions about ideology, meaning and purpose, whether it’s found via religion or widespread media figures. Its ending is engrossing, a thrill ride into a mind at war with itself, leaving us with ruminations about our own beliefs and what they ask of us.
