"Tilt" is billed as the first horror film of the Trump Era, although it was filmed before the actual 2016 election took place. Joe is a documentary filmmaker living in LA with his pregnant wife, nurse Jo. He has been working on a new doc that aims to expose the "myth of the Golden Age" in American history, specifically the post-war period roughly from 1947 to the advent of the Beatles. Trouble is, Joe keeps expanding his vision, but Jo needs him to buckle down to work in a "real" job, one that brings in money, and oh, by the way, to become an adult already. But Joe's sense of reality is unravelling, one scene after another
. I could see what filmmaker Kasra Farahari was going for here, but despite the excellent acting by Joseph Cross and Alexia Rasmussen, the film ends up being just too disjointed to work. Like Joe's documentary, "Tilt" really needs a sharper focus on a smaller theme.
21 Reviews
Borefest
cjs654717 March 2019
It would probably be a 5 or 6, if it wasn't so pretentious. Tilt looks like it was made so that Joseph Cross could wander the city at night in a black hoodie, smoking a cigarette and trying to be emo. Some shots are dark and confusing, others hold onto meaningless objects for no real reason. But one thing you can tell right away - nothing much is going to happen in this movie, and you can relax and turn your brain off. It would actually be painful if you paid attention to the bland dialogue, Joe's forced enthusiasm about his documentary, and the complete and utter pointlessness of everything that happens in this movie.
Joe, who must be the loneliest firm-maker ever, has a boring wife, rude house guests, and nobody to call a friend so he goes around the city staring at people, scaring them by looking like he's about to kill them, and losing his temper after two bad line-readings because he's so on edge about his passion project which besides a few lines of dialogue, there is no evidence of it ever being his 'passion'. His true passion seems to be to smoke, stay up late at night, dress like a rebellious teen and hate his wife-mom.
It has some sort of political agenda probably. I don't know why else there's so much of that stuff in here. But other than that, its not really offensive or frustrating. It's a calm, do-other-things-while-this-is-on kinda movie.
Joe, who must be the loneliest firm-maker ever, has a boring wife, rude house guests, and nobody to call a friend so he goes around the city staring at people, scaring them by looking like he's about to kill them, and losing his temper after two bad line-readings because he's so on edge about his passion project which besides a few lines of dialogue, there is no evidence of it ever being his 'passion'. His true passion seems to be to smoke, stay up late at night, dress like a rebellious teen and hate his wife-mom.
It has some sort of political agenda probably. I don't know why else there's so much of that stuff in here. But other than that, its not really offensive or frustrating. It's a calm, do-other-things-while-this-is-on kinda movie.
Not a bad effort.
deloudelouvain25 April 2018
I see there are a lot of negative reviews for this movie and I honestly don't get why, certainly if you rate it the lowest possible. I won't say it is the best movie ever but to watch once it's certainly decent enough. I was just a bit dissapointed by the end, that's the only part where I expected more. For the rest the movie is entertaining enough to keep you interested. Watching the main character Joseph Burns (played by Joseph Cross) losing his mind after his wife got pregnant, and this while he has issues with his project and with his political views and life in general. It's not like Falling Down where Michael Douglas lost it and became extremely violent nor like Jack Nicholson in The Shining losing it also, but there is definitely a tension, a bad tension. The other movies mentioned became cult movies and are still very good, way better than Tilt, but Tilt is just different and yet the same as a person can't cope with reality anymore. The acting was not bad, the story could have used a bit more violence to me, and a bit more explanation at the end, but it's certainly watchable and doesn't deserve those ridiculous low ratings.
Tilt: Gets under your skin and stays there
Platypuschow18 March 2018
Tilt is a bizzare film and one of those I went into knowing absolutely nothing. It all starts simple enough and slow burns throughout but when things happen they leave you both baffled and a little disturbed.
It tells the story of a young couple expecting their first child, they are financially struggling due to him not working and merely working on his second feature documentary. Gradually his mental state falls apart and he does acts he can't even explain himself.
For a start I was blown away with just how politically charged the movie is and I have no doubt this will upset a lot of people. Oddly however if you take a step back you could argue it being agenda spewing for both political stances.
The lead is heavily left wing, speaks openly about his hatred for Trump and the Republicans. But on the flipside our protagonist is also the antagonist so as identifying him as a "Leftist" does it not make it a right wing movie?
Regardless of it's politics and constant unexplained insistence to show crucifix imagery from start to finish it's a very unsettling movie and not in the good way.
I see what they were going for, I simply don't think it even remotely works.
The Good:
Well made for the most part
The Bad:
More dead animals
Uncomfortable viewing
Mixed political stances
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
If Shawn & Aaron Ashmore had a baby it would be Joseph Cross
It tells the story of a young couple expecting their first child, they are financially struggling due to him not working and merely working on his second feature documentary. Gradually his mental state falls apart and he does acts he can't even explain himself.
For a start I was blown away with just how politically charged the movie is and I have no doubt this will upset a lot of people. Oddly however if you take a step back you could argue it being agenda spewing for both political stances.
The lead is heavily left wing, speaks openly about his hatred for Trump and the Republicans. But on the flipside our protagonist is also the antagonist so as identifying him as a "Leftist" does it not make it a right wing movie?
Regardless of it's politics and constant unexplained insistence to show crucifix imagery from start to finish it's a very unsettling movie and not in the good way.
I see what they were going for, I simply don't think it even remotely works.
The Good:
Well made for the most part
The Bad:
More dead animals
Uncomfortable viewing
Mixed political stances
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
If Shawn & Aaron Ashmore had a baby it would be Joseph Cross
I understood this movie. This movie didn't understand itself.
belomestnykh18 March 2018
This film is a good example of what people that fail exams at film schools have to show as their thesis film. This hour and a half time wasting machine is full of cheap tricks that are surface level filmmaking. Calling this pile of garbage a film is a disgrace to film industry and filmmaking in general.
You may think that this is a psychological game, that it's much deeper and not for everyone, but it is not. This movie is not mysterious or challenging, it is very easily understandable, bad version of simple and not that hard to take in. The problems arrive when you watch a scene, know what it will end with and what will it lead to, then watch it do exactly that with no enthusiasm and emotional and visual attraction.
This thing is a pile of film-school-garbage made by someone who needs to repeat their program.
You may think that this is a psychological game, that it's much deeper and not for everyone, but it is not. This movie is not mysterious or challenging, it is very easily understandable, bad version of simple and not that hard to take in. The problems arrive when you watch a scene, know what it will end with and what will it lead to, then watch it do exactly that with no enthusiasm and emotional and visual attraction.
This thing is a pile of film-school-garbage made by someone who needs to repeat their program.
Tilt: The Descent of A Mad Hispter Artist!
babyjaguar21 March 2018
For an indie horror film, it was quite funny, than depressing. Although the story is original and quite intriguing with the anti-Trump references. In my opinion, it plays on whatever happens after teen angst... specifically suburban white entitlement. Its about a disillusioned filmmaker, Joseph who can not deal with adulthood. Being born with options even help from his mother in law, since "wifey", Kendra is in despair on combined of her salary and his dreams, won't supply a "bread winner" in the house, who blames her.
Anyways, he mopes around a L.A. Latino barrio, probably being gentrified by hipsters his age. He descends from a slow angst of creative frustration then quickly becomes what Joseph accuses Trump, a "bolstering angry white man"! I'm sorry -- I have seen so many of these frustrated creative people, upset that no one cares about their craft while they live lives of opportunities, but this story ends with acts of violence.
See it for Indie fun, but with a tad of uninteresting characters. I feel this film was trying to bridge the horror genre with art house, that directors like Ti West have been successful at. You can't blame this production crew for trying, I did enjoy the political satiric elements!
Anyways, he mopes around a L.A. Latino barrio, probably being gentrified by hipsters his age. He descends from a slow angst of creative frustration then quickly becomes what Joseph accuses Trump, a "bolstering angry white man"! I'm sorry -- I have seen so many of these frustrated creative people, upset that no one cares about their craft while they live lives of opportunities, but this story ends with acts of violence.
See it for Indie fun, but with a tad of uninteresting characters. I feel this film was trying to bridge the horror genre with art house, that directors like Ti West have been successful at. You can't blame this production crew for trying, I did enjoy the political satiric elements!
"Falling Down", the Next Generation?
gavin694224 April 2017
An unemployed documentary filmmaker (Joseph Cross)'s behavior becomes increasingly erratic in the months after his wife becomes pregnant.
This film is something like the next generation answer to "Falling Down". A man is stressed out by his life, and it manifests itself in ways that are not really helpful to society. However, whereas Michael Douglas simply became increasing violent, our protagonist here also seems to be heading in a direction of mental derangement, and the viewer may not always be able to predict what will happen next. This subtle difference is what would make "Tilt" a so-called "genre" film, but "Falling Down" not so much.
What also makes the protagonist interesting to watch (and really, this is essentially a character study) is his own inflated sense of self. He goes through the struggle and stress of compromise with his wife, and this is really laid bare when he confronts another man and asks that man about his single status. We are then informed that a dichotomy exists: marriage or freedom. Our protagonist chose marriage, and therefore (under these limited guidelines) sees that he has forfeited his freedom.
And his ambition may be ill-placed. While he is certainly knowledgeable and passionate about his film deconstructing the fallacy of the "American Golden Age", he also seems to have delusions of being the next Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn. He is ironically convinced that there is great commercial value in anti-capitalist material. And while that may be true, the ideas of America's "war profiteering" or "evolved propaganda" are already out there. He would be adding a whisper to a scream. (Does the viewer recall Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story"? Even with Moore's sizable influence, it had little impact.)
Then there is the Trump connection. While this inclusion of the 2016 election cycle makes for a perfect counter-balance to the anti-establishment views of our subject, it has the unfortunate side effect of making the movie sort of dated. Will it have the same impact five years from now? Though it brilliantly have me wondering if it was filmed in "real time" or after the fact, given its early 2017 release. When our subject says "the day of the blustering angry white man is over", was this scripted with the knowledge in mind that Trump had won, or still at a time when that decision was unexpected?
"Tilt" was screened at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Though it may not have been the best of the "midnight" offerings, it is still an excellent film. Anyone drawn to character studies or overtly psychological movies is encouraged to seek it out. Most likely, it will have either a wider release or appear on demand by the third quarter of the year.
This film is something like the next generation answer to "Falling Down". A man is stressed out by his life, and it manifests itself in ways that are not really helpful to society. However, whereas Michael Douglas simply became increasing violent, our protagonist here also seems to be heading in a direction of mental derangement, and the viewer may not always be able to predict what will happen next. This subtle difference is what would make "Tilt" a so-called "genre" film, but "Falling Down" not so much.
What also makes the protagonist interesting to watch (and really, this is essentially a character study) is his own inflated sense of self. He goes through the struggle and stress of compromise with his wife, and this is really laid bare when he confronts another man and asks that man about his single status. We are then informed that a dichotomy exists: marriage or freedom. Our protagonist chose marriage, and therefore (under these limited guidelines) sees that he has forfeited his freedom.
And his ambition may be ill-placed. While he is certainly knowledgeable and passionate about his film deconstructing the fallacy of the "American Golden Age", he also seems to have delusions of being the next Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn. He is ironically convinced that there is great commercial value in anti-capitalist material. And while that may be true, the ideas of America's "war profiteering" or "evolved propaganda" are already out there. He would be adding a whisper to a scream. (Does the viewer recall Michael Moore's "Capitalism: A Love Story"? Even with Moore's sizable influence, it had little impact.)
Then there is the Trump connection. While this inclusion of the 2016 election cycle makes for a perfect counter-balance to the anti-establishment views of our subject, it has the unfortunate side effect of making the movie sort of dated. Will it have the same impact five years from now? Though it brilliantly have me wondering if it was filmed in "real time" or after the fact, given its early 2017 release. When our subject says "the day of the blustering angry white man is over", was this scripted with the knowledge in mind that Trump had won, or still at a time when that decision was unexpected?
"Tilt" was screened at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Though it may not have been the best of the "midnight" offerings, it is still an excellent film. Anyone drawn to character studies or overtly psychological movies is encouraged to seek it out. Most likely, it will have either a wider release or appear on demand by the third quarter of the year.
Could have been much better, but that is Hollywood.
Jscooter4145 May 2018
I expected more from this film considering the cast, of course there are few good writers out there, most just copy the same stuff, the bashing Trump thing was in line with how Hollywood has little to offer as well. I feel so many films play the same old theme, creativity has gone old the window. I do not care about politicians or what people think about Presidents - any of them, please give us a story with substance, this is not it again. I would love to see the many actors/actresses with some meat to work with in the story in showcasing their talents. How many times do sequels have to be made, well until Hollywood sees the profits are dropping, unfortunately these films are never ending, at least they run in the middle.
Dark, odd, intriguing, and, at times, shocking.
ivanaaaaaaaaa12 February 2019
I'm baffled by the low rating and so many negative reviews for this movie. One person even said that the main actor "had no charisma", which really cracked me up. This is a really dark character in a really dark, really odd movie, not Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool. We're not meant to like this guy or find him charming, we're meant to be intrigued by his darkness and want to see where it'll take him.
I really loved all of the implied things that happened, even moreso than the things we could actually see. Except for that one scene which literally had me coughing for a full minute, I almost threw up. It's been about 2 hours and my throat still hurts. (And I do not have a week stomach for blood, violence, etc. This was something different.)
The movie started off really strong, but the second half didn't quite measure up to the expectations the first half set up, hence 7.5/10. I really liked it and could have easily watched another hour of what he's going to do next.
Although this movie does mention politics and has some anti-Trump references, it's not a political movie and you shouldn't let that deter you from seeing it.
I really loved all of the implied things that happened, even moreso than the things we could actually see. Except for that one scene which literally had me coughing for a full minute, I almost threw up. It's been about 2 hours and my throat still hurts. (And I do not have a week stomach for blood, violence, etc. This was something different.)
The movie started off really strong, but the second half didn't quite measure up to the expectations the first half set up, hence 7.5/10. I really liked it and could have easily watched another hour of what he's going to do next.
Although this movie does mention politics and has some anti-Trump references, it's not a political movie and you shouldn't let that deter you from seeing it.
Depressing
michael-daniels-8452117 March 2018
If the intention of the makers of this film was to send the viewer into depression then they certainly succeeded. Unfortunately this so called, "movie", does nothing more than to document what can only be termed as a total looser, who abandoning any grip on realty gradually becomes psychotic. However, this process unfortunately lacks any kind of psychological verisimilitude. There is no real history of psychological illness depicted in this character and other than being a total jerk, we can see no reason as to why he progress from this state to so easily to that of a psychopath. Poorly thought out, depressing and just plain boring.
Most Under-appreciated Psychological Horror
johnholmesspellman6 September 2022
All too believable study of a husband's gradual descent into psychosis. It works best as a case study, and not as a source of traditional scares or excitement. It creates an atmosphere of dread near the start and continues to hold us, chiefly due to the inspired performance of the actor playing the disturbed husband. The screenplay is a masterpiece of clarity as it depicts his pathetic attempts to create a documentary film while dealing with the pressure of impending fatherhood. Some viewers might be reminded of Polanski's "The Tenant," which deals with a similar situation. "Tilt," like that one, will never be popular, despite the talent and obvious skills that went into its production.
Decent Moody Slow Burn Suspense
kaideneve10 April 2021
I watched this movie without reading any reviews beforehand, and I'm glad I did, because I might not have otherwise watched it based on the low IMDB score. I was quite surprised to see it rated so low. It's not a spectacular film, but it's better than a 5 for sure, and I would say a worthwhile watch particularly if you're a fan of the genre.
Although there are some political parts where the main character expresses his distaste for Trump, I don't feel the movie is trying to make a political statement at all like some other reviews are stating. I think it's just establishing the main character's obsession and frustration with things in his life that are out of his control.
Tilt is essentially what the summary describes: a man with worsening mental health roaming the streets at night falling deeper into his own psychosis. I wish there would have been a bit more meaning behind his madness, which is the weakest point in the film for sure. The audience is never really shown any solid reason why the main character acts the way he does; he just comes across as a cold, selfish, unemployed jerk for no reason. That said, he somehow has a smart and doting girlfriend who he treats like crap despite her being forced to work long hours as a nurse while studying for med school and being pregnant at the same time.
Aside from that, it was a film that kept me interested. It's atmospheric and moody with some good cinematography. The ending was fairly meh, but then again I didn't get the sense that it was the type of film that was going to have a shocking or twist finale anyway. I felt compelled to write a review because I believe it objectively deserves a better score. At least a 6 for this one.
Although there are some political parts where the main character expresses his distaste for Trump, I don't feel the movie is trying to make a political statement at all like some other reviews are stating. I think it's just establishing the main character's obsession and frustration with things in his life that are out of his control.
Tilt is essentially what the summary describes: a man with worsening mental health roaming the streets at night falling deeper into his own psychosis. I wish there would have been a bit more meaning behind his madness, which is the weakest point in the film for sure. The audience is never really shown any solid reason why the main character acts the way he does; he just comes across as a cold, selfish, unemployed jerk for no reason. That said, he somehow has a smart and doting girlfriend who he treats like crap despite her being forced to work long hours as a nurse while studying for med school and being pregnant at the same time.
Aside from that, it was a film that kept me interested. It's atmospheric and moody with some good cinematography. The ending was fairly meh, but then again I didn't get the sense that it was the type of film that was going to have a shocking or twist finale anyway. I felt compelled to write a review because I believe it objectively deserves a better score. At least a 6 for this one.
Tilt (2017)
SashaDarko20 March 2018
A psychological thriller / leftist propangda movie about a downfall of an ultra-liberal white American man.
The man is unemployed, he but doesn't care about that since he believes he's working on a very important documentary movie. Yet his samely ultra-liberal American wife doesn't like the fact that he doesn't bring the money and they're already starting a family. There's almost nothing happening during the whole movie and this is one you can get through skipping parts. But the acting is good and cinematography is nice, plus it's not that boring to watch (especially if you start skipping through it).
As for the leftist propaganda, they're a bit obsessed with hating Donald Trump in this movie. Calling him names while watching his speech on the TV, using a mask of him to scare each other, etc. And of course all that message about capitalism, America's past / future and such. He talks almost nothing but politics and propaganda.
p.s. There's already one fake review (March 18 2018, 9/10 review written via a fresh IMDB account created the same day), maybe they'll bring some more later. Watch out for these.
The man is unemployed, he but doesn't care about that since he believes he's working on a very important documentary movie. Yet his samely ultra-liberal American wife doesn't like the fact that he doesn't bring the money and they're already starting a family. There's almost nothing happening during the whole movie and this is one you can get through skipping parts. But the acting is good and cinematography is nice, plus it's not that boring to watch (especially if you start skipping through it).
As for the leftist propaganda, they're a bit obsessed with hating Donald Trump in this movie. Calling him names while watching his speech on the TV, using a mask of him to scare each other, etc. And of course all that message about capitalism, America's past / future and such. He talks almost nothing but politics and propaganda.
p.s. There's already one fake review (March 18 2018, 9/10 review written via a fresh IMDB account created the same day), maybe they'll bring some more later. Watch out for these.
Poor production NO CONCLUSION!!
wmusiwa21 April 2018
A terrible waste of time for such a promising storyline
tkaine314 March 2018
This film about a struggling documentary film maker starts off giving you that warm and creepy feeling a good indie movie creates when you think something entertaining is going to appear just beyond the horizon. The acting is good and the dialogue keeps you engaged so after 30 mins. Of charachter building You figure any minute now thngs should start to unfold. Then after an hour of circling the same issues and events not bringing you any closer to this drain the directors classify as drama/ horror / thriller, you realize the movie gives you no clear or distinct reason of why the main charachter is having these problems or feelings. Being confused watching this movie even ends on that premise never showing the result of his actions leaving you blind to the cosequences. Of course we can all assume what happened but for an hour and 40 minutes of waiting just to see a couple events unfold and then its over dubs this movie as a waste of time. The best thing about this movie were the remarks he made about Donald trump a few times through out but the premise of his mindset and stress from his situation never added up to what it amounts to. So Basically the story line showcases an undeveloped psyche so watchers do not understand the charachters reasoning. Your aim was good but next time throw the dart harder so it can atleast hit the board!
Meh...
cynicsick23 March 2018
There was really no suspense, no shock factor. The ending that was supposed to be the highlight, I said to myself "I guess that's that". Pretty boring as well. The main guy had no charisma, this is more likely because his character was poorly written or thought out. Because his acting is ok. Not bad. but ok. I don't even care about his views as he rambles on about his "philosophy" I dont even know what to call it. But this is no reason for the story to suck.
The only reason why I gave this 3 points is because of the execution. The movie doesn't look bad. Some of the scenes that were shot, what was actually good considering that this is not a big budget film.
The only reason why I gave this 3 points is because of the execution. The movie doesn't look bad. Some of the scenes that were shot, what was actually good considering that this is not a big budget film.
Awful movie
melissaireland-133953 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The actors are great.
That's the only good thing to say about this movie.
I'm not even sure if it's taking a dig at Trump or liberal men. The main character clearly does not like Trump, and focuses on him way too much. Even the wife says if you hate him why do you always watch this stuff.
At the same time why would anyone care what this loon thinks? He's a loser. I feel almost as if the movie is trying to explain all the people that became unhinged when Trunp won, but it certainly doesn't make them look good.
It's just a white liberal male, with a degree in the arts I'm sure, with no job, sponging of his pregnant wife, while making a documentary that looks as boring as this movie was.
There is just no reason that was shown or explained in any fashion for why he suddenly became crazy.
Did he have a schizophrenic break? Did he get cursed somehow? Or was it him following Trump?
I don't know why anybody gave this a good rating unless they're friends with someone connected to it and wanted to help or they were paid to give it a good rating.
Not only does it have a terrible plot that makes no sense. It's boring.
That's the only good thing to say about this movie.
I'm not even sure if it's taking a dig at Trump or liberal men. The main character clearly does not like Trump, and focuses on him way too much. Even the wife says if you hate him why do you always watch this stuff.
At the same time why would anyone care what this loon thinks? He's a loser. I feel almost as if the movie is trying to explain all the people that became unhinged when Trunp won, but it certainly doesn't make them look good.
It's just a white liberal male, with a degree in the arts I'm sure, with no job, sponging of his pregnant wife, while making a documentary that looks as boring as this movie was.
There is just no reason that was shown or explained in any fashion for why he suddenly became crazy.
Did he have a schizophrenic break? Did he get cursed somehow? Or was it him following Trump?
I don't know why anybody gave this a good rating unless they're friends with someone connected to it and wanted to help or they were paid to give it a good rating.
Not only does it have a terrible plot that makes no sense. It's boring.
Thought provoking
DianaHoward18 March 2018
These are the best kind of movies: Creepy and dark but mesmerizing and beautiful to watch, like "Blue Velvet" or "The Witch".
If you like movies that leave you with only answers and no questions, this might not be the film for you.
But if you appreciate movies that make you feel more curious coming out than you were going in, you will not be disappointed!
not THAT bad
rowantree-081284 February 2024
I dont c why everyones giving 1/10s it's not as bad as you guys are making it out to be. The first half is pretty suspenseful and has the psychological horror film feel with all the tension, you get to know the characters etc. But after that its kinda just the same thing. And the ending really disappointed me- i get what it was going for, one of those movies that has minimal detail and leaves the viewer thinking about it afterwards, but there wasn't enough in the whole second half of the movie at all. Ending makes no sense- you never find out WHY the main character is doing what he's doing other than 'he's stressed' like okay im stressed too don't mean i go around bashing up homeless blokes. But if they'd added more to the second half, and kept it in the same style as the first half it would've been super good. But i dont think it's fair to take a dookie on movies like this cus i would like to see this kindof enigma in more modern horror movies, because the tension is way more scary than any in-your-face jumpscare.
Falling Down, but for Over-Privileged People Who Hate Adulting
dvspindl4 October 2022
I saw one critic reference Taxi Driver in his review of Tilt, and while I see some slight resemblance there, there were more moments in this film that reminded me of Falling Down, a '90s movie in which a man, played by Michael Douglas, has lost his job as an engineer and is on a downward spiral toward irrational violence and self-destruction.
In this movie, the protagonist, Joseph Burns, a thirty-something indie documentary-maker who experienced marginal success with his previous film, is currently jobless to make time to work on his next film, which seems to be on the same path of mediocrity as the first. The only problem is his wife, Joanne, who is in medical school and working/studying almost constantly, is pregnant. Joseph is provided an opportunity to work full-time as an assistant editor, and at first he rejects the opportunity. But when Joanne angrily pleads with him to stick to the agreement they had, that he would work once she was in medical school, he agrees to interview for the job.
In the meantime, Joseph apparently has been on a secret road to insanity since (at least) the couple's vacation in Hawaii. Obsessed with economic stratification (the topic of his documentary-in-progress), he becomes increasingly interested in the idea of lording power over those perceived as weak (a homeless man, a stray dog). It's ironic and interesting, as it was in Falling Down, or even in the satirical movie, American Psycho. What's missing in this movie is ... well, anything resembling a reason for us to sympathize with Joseph.
In Falling Down, we sympathize with the protagonist because those of us who have experienced the terror of having no income, no financial security, understand how it can fray the ends of sanity in the worst moments. Even in American Psycho, though we don't exactly sympathize with the protagonist, we laugh at him--we're meant to laugh at him because he's ridiculous and absurd.
In Tilt, Joseph and Joanne, a couple of Millennials, live in a lovely little house with a backyard and a separate workspace next door where Joseph can play with his little movie-making gadgets. They eat health-food, which they don't appear to struggle paying for. At the start of the movie, they are just returning from a vacation in Hawaii. Joseph has the ability to get a good job with benefits, but he thinks having a job merely to pay the rent is degrading to him as an artist. He despises those more financially privileged than he is. In fact, in one scene in roughly the middle of the movie, he subtly threatens a rich, older tourist, who drives an expensive convertible, at a scenic overlook.. He hates the rich and wants to eat the poor. What in the world is it that Joseph stands for, anyway?
Perhaps the problem is that Joseph is not merely an individual character but a representation of a cultural phenomenon--a generation of people, now coming into middle-age, who were raised to believe that in adulthood they would be independently wealthy, perpetually vacationing in Bora Bora. Joanne's friend Kendra calls him out: "Welcome to adulthood," she says. Indeed, Kendra, indeed.
Ultimately, Tilt is lost somewhere between what I believe the writers meant to achieve and the sheer, self-pitying emptiness of their protagonist's psychological struggles. My psychological struggles watching this movie were in believing Joseph, the ineffectual but socially well-adjusted geek, as a foreboding predator capable of horrific acts. Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) goes violently insane because he's socially awkward and anachronistic in a time of cultural revolution. Joseph Burns goes violently insane because he doesn't want to work to pay the bills, because having a comfortable home, a good job, and a loving family is below him, apparently.
In this movie, the protagonist, Joseph Burns, a thirty-something indie documentary-maker who experienced marginal success with his previous film, is currently jobless to make time to work on his next film, which seems to be on the same path of mediocrity as the first. The only problem is his wife, Joanne, who is in medical school and working/studying almost constantly, is pregnant. Joseph is provided an opportunity to work full-time as an assistant editor, and at first he rejects the opportunity. But when Joanne angrily pleads with him to stick to the agreement they had, that he would work once she was in medical school, he agrees to interview for the job.
In the meantime, Joseph apparently has been on a secret road to insanity since (at least) the couple's vacation in Hawaii. Obsessed with economic stratification (the topic of his documentary-in-progress), he becomes increasingly interested in the idea of lording power over those perceived as weak (a homeless man, a stray dog). It's ironic and interesting, as it was in Falling Down, or even in the satirical movie, American Psycho. What's missing in this movie is ... well, anything resembling a reason for us to sympathize with Joseph.
In Falling Down, we sympathize with the protagonist because those of us who have experienced the terror of having no income, no financial security, understand how it can fray the ends of sanity in the worst moments. Even in American Psycho, though we don't exactly sympathize with the protagonist, we laugh at him--we're meant to laugh at him because he's ridiculous and absurd.
In Tilt, Joseph and Joanne, a couple of Millennials, live in a lovely little house with a backyard and a separate workspace next door where Joseph can play with his little movie-making gadgets. They eat health-food, which they don't appear to struggle paying for. At the start of the movie, they are just returning from a vacation in Hawaii. Joseph has the ability to get a good job with benefits, but he thinks having a job merely to pay the rent is degrading to him as an artist. He despises those more financially privileged than he is. In fact, in one scene in roughly the middle of the movie, he subtly threatens a rich, older tourist, who drives an expensive convertible, at a scenic overlook.. He hates the rich and wants to eat the poor. What in the world is it that Joseph stands for, anyway?
Perhaps the problem is that Joseph is not merely an individual character but a representation of a cultural phenomenon--a generation of people, now coming into middle-age, who were raised to believe that in adulthood they would be independently wealthy, perpetually vacationing in Bora Bora. Joanne's friend Kendra calls him out: "Welcome to adulthood," she says. Indeed, Kendra, indeed.
Ultimately, Tilt is lost somewhere between what I believe the writers meant to achieve and the sheer, self-pitying emptiness of their protagonist's psychological struggles. My psychological struggles watching this movie were in believing Joseph, the ineffectual but socially well-adjusted geek, as a foreboding predator capable of horrific acts. Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) goes violently insane because he's socially awkward and anachronistic in a time of cultural revolution. Joseph Burns goes violently insane because he doesn't want to work to pay the bills, because having a comfortable home, a good job, and a loving family is below him, apparently.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
