The Leech

Writer / director Eric Pennycoff’s The Leech (2022) excels in the art of making its audience uncomfortable.  Mixing comedy, religious angst and (maybe, possibly?) some satanic panic, it’s a film that makes so much of so little you can’t help but root for it to reach that rare cinematic end zone.  But when it finally gets there, all those psychological twists and turns might require further review. 


Father David’s flock of parishioners have all but abandoned him.  Making sermons inside an empty church and posting inspirational social media hashtags that no one reads, he finds unlikely inspiration in the form of a vagrant, Terry (Jeremy Gardner), sleeping between the pews.  Invited home as an act of Christian kindness, Terry is quick to take advantage of a good situation, rolling out the red carpet for his now-homeless girlfriend, Lexi (Taylor Zaudtke), to crash the pad as well.  David sees an opportunity to correct their bad behavior – which includes drugs, drinking and S & M – and put God’s word into action.  But soon he finds himself struggling to save his own soul.

 

Essentially a three-person stage play, The Leech is a perfect match of actors and material.  Graham Skipper, who bears a pleasant resemblance to Zach Galifianakis, takes a spiritual beating as Father David.  His desperate attempt to salvage not only Terry and Lexi’s damaged relationship, but reconcile his own past sins is beautiful to watch…in a Bergmanesque kind of way.  And Gardner, whose off-balance performances and rough looks, has never lucked into a better role.

 

But they owe just as much to Pennycoff’s writing which is deceptively good.  One scene in particular, which finds our three leads playing a drunken game of Never Have I Ever, is so heavy with tension, secrets and dread that you’ll follow the movie anywhere from that point on.   Unfortunately, it also features some missed opportunities that could have spun the story into more narratively satisfying directions.  The nihilistic ending might scratch that seat-of-your-pants indie itch, but there was potential for even more.  Who knows, maybe Pennycoff’s working his way up to something big.

 

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray includes a ton of illuminating extras like a Making Of, interviews, two commentary tracks, early short films and visual essay that breaks down The Leech and Pennycoff’s earlier work.

 

 

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