The Subject — The Subject(VOD)

The Subject, from director Lanie Zipoy and writer Chisa Hutchinson, follows failing documentary filmmaker Phil Waterhouse (American Pie’s Jason Biggs) as his life is slowly drawn into a cycle of decay as a stalker chases him, his relationship with his girlfriend dies and the ethical weight of his last film sitting on his shoulders like a tonne of bricks. Originally shown on the festival circuit all the way back in 2020 before some small runs of American television the following year, The Subject is now out for worldwide digital purchase. However I’m going to say this upfront, from the small bit of premise I’ve given you, I guarantee you can watch the film via the mind’s eye without having missed much.

The film is very well-natured, that’s something I won’t take away from Zipoy’s picture. The central thematic exploration of the exploitative nature of populist documentaries is something we should be talking about, especially in the wake of Netflix’s growing library of true-crime shows that toe the line of tastelessness.  The Subject tackles this subject with some nuance, most of this coming through in the film's second half where a brilliant sequence with Biggs and Aunjanue Ellis, here playing Leslie Barnes, a mother with a deep history with Waterhouse. They are both turning in some spectacular performances. The central framing device of Waterhouse having filmed a murder, even though he could have intervened, is a great idea and the conversations it wants to have are worth having. In fact the weight of the event, even from minute one, hangs over the plot like the sword of Damocles in a way that keeps the tension high.

 

However, getting to that second half is a slog. Getting to the stuff you want to see means you have to watch about an hour of some not-very-good interpersonal drama. There are too many ideas to slot into this first half, too many characters and relationships vying for your attention and most of them don’t stick the landing. The relationship between Waterhouse and his new documentary subject is the most interesting just because of the later parallels that are drawn come the second act. Breaking the film down into acts feels appropriate here given the screenwriter is, by trade, a playwright. That style of pacing is prevalent here as the two acts have very little actually connecting outside of one thematic thread, thus leaving the film with little in the way of true narrative cohesion.

 

The Subject is hard to recommend, the second half is fantastic but getting there just isn’t worth it. The direction isn’t anything to write home about and the script is a bit all over the place. Bigg’s comic actor-turned-serious performance is pretty good, getting the uncomfortable nature of this character who lacks self-awareness down perfectly. At the end of the day, The Subject is alright. It's fine. You’ve seen quite a few films which tackle this subject better and worse, watch one of them instead.