''The Playground'' is a 2017
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
directed by Edreace Purmul. The film was written by Purmul, Ramona Frye and Dean Mounir. It stars Myles Cranford,
Merrick McCartha
Merrick McCartha is an American actor who appeared on television shows such as '' All American,'' ''Criminal Minds'', ''Rebel'' and ''Unstable''. His film credits include ''Anatomy of an Antihero: Redemption'', '' Failure!'', '' Hemet, or the La ...
,
Shane P. Allen, Christopher Salazar and Ghadir Mounib. The film won Best Narrative Feature at the San Diego Film Awards and was distributed by
Indie Rights.
Plot
The story follows Joseph, Grandison, Jack, Jill and Mr. Vaugn. Joseph is a priest grappling with his morals. Grandison is an eager bum down on his luck. Jack is a convict, married to Jill, his frustrated wife. Mr. Vaugn is a business man whose fortune is slipping away. They all struggle against their inner demons while crossing paths in a fable orchestrated by a dark entity.
Cast
*Myles Cranford as Old Homeless Man
*
Merrick McCartha
Merrick McCartha is an American actor who appeared on television shows such as '' All American,'' ''Criminal Minds'', ''Rebel'' and ''Unstable''. His film credits include ''Anatomy of an Antihero: Redemption'', '' Failure!'', '' Hemet, or the La ...
as Grandison
*
Shane P. Allen as Mr. Vaugn
*Christopher Salazar as Joseph
*Ghadir Mounib as Jill
*Raye Richards as Hairdresser Coworker
*Daniel Armand as Nameless Man
*Lawrence R. Kivett as Jack
*Kysha Hobbs as Shaman
*Evan Henderson as Accountant
*
Jennifer Paredes as Auto Mechanic Clerk
Production
Purmul began writing the script in 2013, inspired by questions around
mass shootings in America. He created his own version of the
Devil
A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...
based on archetypes from ancient fables and integrated it into the characters.
The cast is mostly made up of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
based actors. The film plays out like an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
, observing five separate stories. Purmul says his elevator pitch for the film is ''
Pulp Fiction'' meets ''
The Devil's Advocate.''
Release
The film released on October 21, 2017.
It was distributed by
Indie Rights.
Reception
Critical response
Richard Propes of The Independent Critic says that Purmul has "crafted a film of tremendous vision and intentionality,"
scoring it 3 out of 4.
Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson admits "it is a film to respect more than enjoy"
scoring the film 3 out of 5 stars.
Shirley Rodriguez at Independent Film Now said "the true playground we discover is the world itself and its inhabitants."
Accolades
The film won Best Narrative Feature Film at the San Diego Film Awards in 2016.
References
External links
*
Original screenplayby Edreace Purmul
*
*
Traileron
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Playground, The
2017 films
American independent films
Films set in San Diego
Films shot in San Diego
2017 independent films
2017 thriller films
American thriller films
The Devil in film
American anthology films
Films about Catholic priests
Films about homelessness
Films about marriage
Films about infidelity
Films about abuse
Films about criminals
Films about businesspeople
Films about accountants
Films based on fables
Demons in film
Hyperlink films
Films produced by Rebecca Reyes
English-language thriller films