I am familiar with director and writer Riley Stearns, despite having only seen a fraction of his work. Faults, being his feature length debut, has been long on my radar and gone very much ignored. There isn't a particular reason for this, other than I just found other things to watch and a backlog of shows and films just increased in size, as Faults became buried, sometimes appearing and reminding me to finally check it out. I enjoyed The Art of Self-Defence, but I admit I haven't yet seen Dual either despite following much of its production over in Finland. Stearns seems like one of Hollywood's more rare filmmakers, one that sits at the back and just sort of does his own thing. Making short films over the pandemic on next to zero budget to pursuing feature length releases every so often; he reminds me much of the more popular Jim Cummings. Talent like these two, while I'm sure exists in its plenty in Los Angeles, certainly does get overlooked during the times between bigger projects. Often pushed aside for those who are larger, with more frequent releases and budgets. But I can't help but appreciate the lower budget Hollywood filmmaker. Defying the norm and sticking true to what filmmaking is, and that's to tell stories no matter how difficult or easy they may be to tell.
Stearns has been quite open as to how he found his way into the world of filmmaking. Mostly known for now being the ex of actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, but fortunately now for series of feature lengths to his name. Taking the advice from other filmmakers to focus his talent on the writing and directing side of things, and to ignore the world of acting himself. While I haven't seen him act in anything, I can speak positively on his ability to write convincing characters and stories. Mostly black comedies that dip briefly into the idea of community, cult mentality, and philosophy. It seems his films look into the easily manipulated but deeply complex minds of people. The Art of Self-Defence looked into the world of martial arts and how it can save the weak by giving them confidence to take action; also looking into the negative side of it as it can inflate the ego of some. That is to say that it seems as if balance is often a theme, utilising characters to ensure there's a certain give and take between them within the story.
I had no idea what to expect with Faults going into it, but I found it to be a very weird, very engaging low budget film. Very psychological and full of questions even with a relatively short runtime. And it definitely spoke of Stearns and his prior short film experience.
Faults
I have a love for films that utilise protagonists that are either weak or just total depressing failures. Ones that just scream desperation and cowardice. These characters are the ones that make us feel for them easiest. Connecting with them almost immediately as we see how beaten-down and unmotivated they are. But what makes these characters so strong is how they use those traits to only manage to exacerbate things for themselves. Falling deeper into a hole that cannot be escaped. As tensions raise and it becomes clear that the protagonist just has no way out of the mess they've managed to get themselves into via a plethora of bad choices. I would much rather watch films about losers than ones about cool heroes. And, well, Faults is mostly about a massive loser. A middle-aged writer that saw some prior success in his first book on the world of cults is now struggling massively with his second book. Having fallen off the deep end for some reason, our first introduction to this character is that he's generally just mean. Trying to get a free breakfast, followed by arguing and being rude to others. He seems like a real piece of work that has us believing that whatever situation he's now in is only one of self-admission. This character seems like the epitome of washed-up grifter, and I love it. Particularly when he tries to charge people for his new books, refusing to sign old ones or trying to charge people extra for signatures. There's a desperation about him that just seems wrong, but for a while we don't quite see why.
Faults is a very low budget feeling film, though. One that relies very much on a tight environment for it to tell its story. Mostly taking place in a small motel room. Films such as these are often very difficult to make, due to the boredom and easy drop-off of engagement the viewer can get with the characters and story if things can't hold their attention. The same environment utilised and managing to remain engaging is a very strong sign. And Faults certainly took me along for the ride despite relying on mostly just four small walls to tell its story. Our protagonist gets privately hired to save a daughter from a cult for her parents, who appear to be very concerned with her recent behaviour and desperate to get her back. Using his expertise on cults and their ways, he willingly takes up the work purely out of desperation due to his financial problems, which are soon to be revealed that he actually owes money having dangerously borrowed just to get his second book published; as well as some unfortunate divorce circumstances and poor choices. Character development really pulls you in as he takes up this work and struggles to really convince anyone. The girl's parents seem stupid and desperate in their own ways, as if he is willingly manipulating them for the money, but at the same time even they hold their own strange auras about them.
This is where that writing strength by Stearns comes into play. The characters become confusing, lost and riddled with desperation. Everyone seems afraid of something and trying to escape something. And it becomes clear that there's numerous oddities about each of them. The parents seem controlling and with a hidden agenda; the daughter speaks of the Faults cult with praise, she's content and happy to follow the rules despite being kidnapped and held up in a hotel. The author, well, we already saw how broken he is. As the story progresses, things naturally fall to pieces more. The directing really finds ways to isolate our protagonist from the rest even in this small space. He walks into other rooms, or the camera fixes on him, still and observant as he displays his desperation and fears alone in the bathroom. Much of the cinemaotgraphy is like this, utilising unique perspectives, but mostly still. Observant, otherworldly, and with very little to say. I think it works very well given the actions and tensions speak for themselves. Letting this be a film that is highly driven by the performances of the actors. Leland Orser absolutely carries the film. His role as this depressed, panicked grifter is incredible. His speech is often quiet, with some confidence but clear there is none on rare situations in which his voice raises. He seems caring and fragile, but also with a danger to him that doesn't quite speak of what he's capable of when backed into a corner long enough. A lot of this speaks on the idea of community and cults, how some seek solace in others for strength, or how some hide it and bottle it up inside, only leading to deeper self-destruction and chaos. While others may project their beliefs on others, even if it's clear they aren't wanted.
Faults very much felt like a short film, it is a very tame story that fits the short film runtime of about 10 - 15 minutes. But somehow Stearns manages to flesh out the story into a full length feature without any loss of quality. I found myself immersed throughout, starting to question just what may happen and to who and when. I was growing increasing curious as to whether there were alternate agendas at play here, and whether any character was actually good at all. The film never really made it clear until it comes to its ending, and I loved that it did it in this manner. It was a genuine mystery throughout. So much so that at some point you even start rooting for the idea that the cult the girl is in might actually be good for her and maybe even for others. It details how easy it can be to fall for the tricks of cult mentality. You know you've been hooked when you're asking just how bad this cult can be when it seems to have their best interests in mind and keeping someone safe from others. It is highly effective, and I'm glad it took me so long to finally check it out. Perhaps learning a bit more about the director beforehand just displayed his strengths more. Having me see this as something beyond just an indie thriller on the cheap, but instead a passionate indie story on human connection and ability. Something none of us truly know until we get backed into a corner, like a fault building pressure preparing to burst all that accumulated force.
