FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE THREE HEADED BEAST, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel’s video review for Three Headed Beast

24-year-old Austin-based filmmakers Fernando Andres and Tyler Rugh have crafted a film filled with such wisdom and confidence beyond their years.  This is an assured feature debut, that definitely took some real guts to pull off… But, their experimentation has paid off in spades.  Told with very little dialogue, paying homage to silent films of old… Three Headed Beast tells the story of three people longing for connection and struggling with the barriers of communication.  Alex is caught in the middle of Nina and Peter, who have just recently opened up their relationship. And even though they have set rules, Peter has slowly started to fall for Alex.  In this wild entanglement, we see these three souls slowly start to unravel… As the cracks in Nina and Peter’s relationship become more volatile.  

HOW DOES THE NEAR-SILENT FILM KEEP THE AUDIENCE ENGAGED?

This all could have been portrayed in a very melodramatic and obvious way. (I mean, we have seen a lot of these open-relationship films in the indie space as of late). But, Andres and Rugh handle these issues with such gentle and thoughtful care.  Instead of letting dialogue lead the way… The movie let’s the images up on the screen do all of the talking.  And Just when you as a viewer (and the characters) are starting to feel exasperated by the silence… Our filmmakers let free a bit of perfectly-placed dialogue to ease the tension. 

Three Headed Beast is less about the story at hand and more about the way these characters are feeling and in turn, how those feelings move the audience.  Rugh and Andres let the camera follow our characters around doing everyday, commonplace things like going to work, taking a shower, having sex, going to the club, or even sleeping (sometimes in a three-way shot where we get to see what all of them are doing at once) which gives us a uniquely intimate perspective in to their lives.  By the end of the film, you will feel as if you know all three of these normal, ordinary people on a personal level… Which adds to the weight of Three Headed Beast as a whole. 

WHAT DOES THREE HEADED BEAST HAVE TO SAY ABOUT COMMUNICATION?

This is a movie, just like it’s characters, that has so much to say, but does it in so many little, subtle ways.  This idea that we are all imprisoned by our inability to effectively communicate with one another… Which then affects our relationships, pervades every second of the movie. 

In one scene Alex is laying in bed and writes out a full text message explaining everything that he is feeling, but in fear of rejection, decides not to send it.  In another, Nina is getting stoned and has a silent recognition of a funny coincidence, which is only ruined once the guy she is hanging out with, blurts out what she is thinking on the inside.  Communication, whether it be the unneeded presence of it or the lack thereof, is something that we as humans will struggle to find balance with for our entire lifetime…. and those struggles have never been brought to life in a more beautiful and thought-provoking way.  

HOW IS THE TRIO OF LEAD ACTORS?

All of these insights come to fruition through the magnetic, naturalistic performances of Dani Hurtado, Jacob Schatz and Cody Shook.  These three actors let it all lay bare, allowing the camera (and thus the audience) into their own personal world.  And the moment they all finally speak… I was worried that the sense of rawness that had been built in silence would be shattered. But, luckily they are able to hold their own with the dialogue in a very pensive scene that they share together.  One thing I must note, is that because of the lack of dialogue and subject material, Three Headed Beast is not the most accessible film.  It’s not a movie to just pop on to enjoy.  This is a challenging, slow-moving and methodical piece of work… so, you definitely will need to be in the mood for something like this, before you decide to watch.  

HOW EFFECTIVE IS THE CRAFT ON DISPLAY BY THESE FIRST-TIME FEATURE FILMMAKERS?

None of this would have worked if Fernando Andres and Tyler Rugh didn’t go for broke, as they have, with their film.  This is one of the most intoxicating movies I’ve had the pleasure to lay my eyes on in quite some time. And the visuals are only heightened by the masterful sound design and lyrical score.  Their screenplay is also so expertly crafted. Small minute details that might seem inconsequential at first, all end up having real nuanced pay-offs.  The way in which they are able to take genre conventions and turn them on their head in endlessly inventive ways, is nothing short of a miracle.

The filmmakers have said in interviews that they were nearly going to give up on Three Headed Beast… After so many rejections from film festivals (I must admit, a nearly-silent bisexual polyamory drama isn’t the easiest sell). But, Tribeca was one of their last shots at getting their film seen. And after paying for the submission fee by doing countless days of Uber Eats, their movie finally got its World Premiere.  And I am so happy that this movie was able to see the light of day.  For any fans of experimental independent cinema, this is not to be missed.

Three Headed Beast is now available to stream on the Tribeca Film Festival website. It has no official release date.

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