Director: Mark Schwab
Writer: Mark Schwab
Stars: James Duval, Silas Kade, Jason Caceres
Synopsis: In an era where cancel culture can destroy careers overnight, Evan Quick (Silas Kade) once stood in the spotlight of indie film success. But after becoming the target of a social media firestorm, his promising career has crumbled to dust.
Industry satire has become a genre in its own right, not simply a branch of the all-encompassing umbrella of satirical film, but a rare breed of self-reflective filmmaking, partially thanks to The Studio. While most of the time, it leans toward the macabre and dark storytelling of narcissistic, murderous filmmakers and delusional actors, Mark Schwab takes a leap of faith with Cutaways, deciding to make a film within a film about the failure of artistic desire, cancel culture, and the thin line between high and low art.
The life of a canceled former Sundance award-winning filmmaker is put under the microscope. He was a promising indie star director until he got canceled by social media, and had to begrudgingly accept a three-picture deal to direct adult movies for a sleazy producer -the stereotypical kind- and handle the clashing nature of his leads, and the domineering producer who puppets everything from behind the scenes.
It’s fascinating watching these guys argue about making an adult film with the professionalism of indie gurus. It’s both hilarious and repulsive how they would go out of their way to make life hard -no pun intended- for one another while still maintaining an air of seriousness. In the beginning, everything looks like a joke, especially since Evan keeps forcing his serious directorial methods on his actors filming…well, a porno. But things change when Sammy, the producer, appears with his young, spoiled lover- soon-to-be husband- Trace, and power play gets into action on who dictates how the ship sails.
The comedy in Cutaways stems from the cringe moments, whether it’s Evan taking things too far and forgetting that at the end of the day this is just…porn, or Andy seducing every dude in sight, or Ryan being hot and slow-witted and yet eager to execute whatever orders are thrown at him. It’s a tight situation of people forced to tolerate one another while secretly despising each other.
This is an ensemble movie, and it excels at casting some really cool actors in their respective roles. There’s, of course, Silas Kade as Evan, who plays the role of the disgruntled director who almost had it all before falling from grace perfectly. Then we have Fernando as Andy, who is the washed-out former Disney child star, totally in tune with his surroundings and his inflated ego. The bickering and interaction between Evan and Andy are heartwarming to watch, but they’re also funny, especially because both actors deliver completely different performances and personalities. There’s also Diogo Hausen as the brainless beauty Ryan. Some of the film’s most comedic moments could be found with him and Evan. James Duval is, of course, iconic as Sammy, and despite appearing much later in the film, Jason Caceres is a surprise as the coy, flirty Trace. It’s quite an ensemble, and to see them in a future project would be a dream.
It’s important to look at this queer industry satire from multiple angles. For starters, it’s a very provocative and bold film. We need more daring LGBTQIA+ movies that handle representation with this ease and elegance. The acting ensemble is predominantly queer, and there’s Latinx representation in the cast, which creates a favorable diversity. But it’s also more than that. It’s about existing outside a knit-tight system that punishes those who dare to defy it. It’s a cautious morality tale about cancel culture, and about who we believe. What does it take to destroy someone’s career, and what is the truth behind-the-scenes of closed movie sets? At the end of the day, it’s a struggle and a vicious cycle of artists chasing their own tails, the same way Ryan suggests a crude sexual move to impress the highly unimpressed Sammy, in a pathetic attempt to make the stilted porno get going.
Cutaways is the kind of queer indie that must make a comeback. The more we get them, the more we feel fulfilled. It is daring, gross, funny, and entertaining. It is currently streamable on Fandango At Home, Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, FlixFling, and Tubi.
Hopefully, we celebrate this by supporting this little passion project.
