Continuance

A dark comedy psychological horror thriller feature film written and directed by Tony Olmos and starring Tony Gorodeckas, Noor Razooky and Teresa Suarez.

Jordan (Gorodeckas) is a lawyer who lives in California with his partner Lynn (Suarez) and their housekeeper, a young woman who they call Lupe (Razooky). They try to make their lives appear normal, however, they have sinister secrets: they kill people. They kidnap strangers, bring them home and keep them locked up until they eventually murder them and it is even implied that they eat them. As time goes by, tensions arise in the household and things gradually get out of control.

The characters stand out. A trio of murderers live in an isolated house, with cameras and motion sensors, because they view people as hostile. There isn't really much of a plot, instead the script focuses primarily on Jordan as he expresses his twisted perspective regarding the world, kills people and tries to balance work, home and his ideals and routines. He, along with Lynn and Lupe are anti-heroes, murderous and vile individuals with a complete disregard for human lives. They are characters that are not to be rooted for, however viewers who enjoy stories with these kind of characters will most likely approve of this film. The music and the editing deserve to be acknowledged, as Olmos' work on these aspects created a sinister score and editing that makes frequent and effective use of wipe techniques.

Although the screenplay explores the protagonists' current situation well, the film might had benefited if there was some backstory, for instance how the couple and Lupe ended up living together, how Lupe became involved in the murders and what caused Jordan to view humanity in such a negative way. It should be mentioned that there are some rather disturbing scenes involving dead bodies and dismemberment that some viewers might find upsetting.

As the main character, Jordan makes quite an unlikeable person. Played dramatically by Gorodeckas (who also provides voice-over), Jordan is a perfectionist, a routineer, a psychopathic misanthrope who kills, is addicted to a variety of pills and is having an affair with Lupe. Suarez does a great job in portraying Lynn, who is a stay-at-home individual, probably an agoraphobic who shares Jordan's views about people and she is a painter and a spiritual healer who drinks a particular type of slushy at certain times throughout the day. Lupe is the one who causes the the situation in the house to become unstable, as she is unhappy with having to put up with Lynn, who she sees as an obstacle between her and Jordan.

Misanthropy is a theme that is quite evident throughout, especially with Jordan's voice-over expressing how much he detests people. His inner thoughts also reveal the paranoia, obsession and anxiety that he feels. The story is also a commentary about mental health, a subject that is addressed primarily through the characters of Jordan and Lynn.

This feature is a dark and disturbing story that explores the lives of three very wicked and deranged individuals. It is a viewing that is not for everyone, however those who appreciate dark humour, intriguing characters and gore should give this one a go.