FOIL (2023)

New On Demand from Cranked Up Films!
Directed by Zach Green.
Written by Zach Green, Devin O’Rourke.
Starring Zach Green, Devin O’Rourke, Chris Doubek, Brian McGuire, Ashley Rae Spillers, Jasmine Wattar, Ari Stidham, Deborah Green
Check out the trailer here!!

After being evicted from his house in LA, wannabe screenwriter Dexter (Zach Green) returns to his home town and lives in his mother’s basement until he can get on his feet. Dexter runs into his old friend Rex (Devin O’Rourke), who convinces Dexter to head to the desert to find a vortex for inspiration and guidance to make his next move. But once in the desert, they meet a friendly hiker named Tom (Chris Doubek) who claims to possess foil that may come from an extraterrestrial crash site, taking Dex and Rex on an adventure of a lifetime.

FOIL is a light-hearted genre comedy and while I rarely get to cover films like that, I found it to be a refreshing palate-cleanser and a fun comedic romp to boot. This low budgeter depends greatly on conversational comedy and while I don’t know for sure, there is such a comfortable feel to the way filmmakers/lead actors Zach Green and Devin O’Rourke, these conversations really seem fluid, as if these two have known each other for years. Or maybe they’re just good at acting like they have that familiarity. Either way, These two guys banter back and forth for most of the film, yet I wasn’t bored for a minute.

FOIL goes into some goofy directions, some pushing the envelope as to what they might be able to pull off on such a small budget. But nevertheless, there’s a charm to this movie that really endeared this one to me. Maybe it is the meta commentary about Dexter being a writer with big dreams, but nothing really to show for it yet. Maybe it’s the direct way Rex teases and taunts Dexter, but still seems to believe to believe in him. Or maybe it’s just seeing two guys in a buddy road movie discovering themselves.

Either way, this is a low stakes, low budget, genre adjacent film. There are some low key special effects that aren’t great, but they just add to the charm. Zach Green and Devin O’Rourke have put together a CLERKS-esque film about two characters you can’t help but root for. If you’re into snappy conversational comedy with a hint of science fiction, FOIL is one you should look out for.