Minor Premise is essentially a one location film with quick edits creating that sense of discombobulation as the various fragments of Ethan’s personality physically emerge within each hour with the threat of absorbing Ethan’s psyche and control entirely. This is a thinking person's film. Minor Premise was shot pre-pandemic, but the panic, paranoia, and desperate isolation Eric Shultz’s debut delivers will doubtless resonate with occupants of this modern world. A scientist's experimentation on his own brain goes horribly wrong in Eric Schultz's sci-fi debut. Minor Premise rests on a select number of individuals’ hefty talent, and it succeeds across the board. A great example of how to execute this kind of story really well is Shane Carruth's 2004 film 'Primer' and although Minor Premise evoked some aspects of that film it was much less enjoyable, for me. Opening Friday, December 4 in theaters, virtual theaters, digital download, and On Demand. Love the way the director and the production team pulled everything together and the performances by the actors was dope. Minor Premise rests on a select number of individuals’ hefty talent, and it succeeds across the board. The film stars Dana Ashbrook, Paton Ashbrook and Sathya Sridharan. Thought the premise would be very difficult to pull off for the lead but he nailed it and the supporting cast fit in perfectly. You’ll be scratching your head for days, and you won’t shake the feeling for even longer. The filmmakers went through great lengths to root the science in fact (one of the three co-writers, Justin Moretto, studied neuroscience and biotechnology), but these details bog down the story in muddled confusion. Taut psychological thriller examines fragmentary nature of personality. It's so difficult to follow, everything is a mess though the director makes some ineffective attemps to clarify things. One of the most intelligently and well-setup sci-fis of the year. That's some heady company, and there are moments in the film that deserve to be mentioned in that rarefied air, quality-wise, but the comparison is really that it's brainy, fragmented and narrowly focused. This is never done to alienate or put on airs, but rather it is to sink us into his world of neuroscience and experimentation. User Ratings “Isn’t that, like, unethical?” one of his students asks. 6/10 Minor Premise is directed by Eric Schultz based on a script co-written with Justin Moretto and Thomas Torrey. ‘Minor Premise’ Review: A Minor Entry in the Sci-Fi Genre, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/movies/minor-premise-review.html. Writers Schultz, Torrey and neuroscientist Moretto try and chart a course back to a diagnosable event past the point that the audience needs to care. Minor Premise makes for a strong delivery of intellect and suspense. Great script about a deep and complex subject, and the actors really brought it home. Minor Premise rests on a select number of individuals’ hefty talent, and it succeeds across the board. Both deliver complex, intricate lo-fi science fiction that rely more on heady ideas and creativity than spectacle and budget. I'm a screenwriter and this flick really stunned me. Dr. Jekyll had it easy. External Reviews Minor Premise – Movie Review (3/5) MINOR PREMISE is a new Sci-Fi Thriller with a simple story that works remarkably well. Highly recommend! The plot was great. Definitely worth a watch! If you’re a fan of sci-fi and issues surrounding the human state and why we are who we are, then you Metacritic Reviews. You’ll be scratching your head for days, and you won’t shake the feeling for even longer. Minor Premise is a film that sticks with you long after your done watching. Writer/Director/Producer Eric Schultz admits to intrigue in this area, and with this film, he ensures many others will become equally as intrigued. Takes concentration to understand the "premise". Felt like I was watching Momento again for the first time. Really impressive work. Minor Premise offers major enjoyment for sci-fi fans in search of an intelligent, grounded entry in the genre. Great movie with a great concept. 7 December 2020 | by benpakman – See all my reviews A brilliantly intricate and mindbending thriller that explores so many emotional planes within one character. Minor Premise is available On Demand across all of the major platforms. minor premis, minor entertainment. FAQ In theaters and virtual cinemas, and available to rent or buy on Google Play, FandangoNow and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators. Why not pay just $1.00 per month via Patreon to help keep us going? When a movie becomes causes the same degree of tension as a math exam then it is no entertainment, it becomes a torture labeled as art. Minor Premise plays out like a trippy dissection of the human psyche. Posted by Eddie Pasa on December 1, 2020 in Movie Reviews / No Comments . Courtesy of Utopia Distribution In the right hands, sci-fi thrillers don’t need a huge budget or a bevy of special effects to tell a tense, thought-provoking story. There is plenty of basic explanation to both the science (especially in the opening lecture) and the motivations behind some of Ethan’s reckless decisions, but never dumbed down. Minor Premise is one of those mind-bending films that stick with you, whether you enjoyed watching them or not. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes. Minor Premise has the time and depth available to explore character. When a movie that feels this scientifically far-reaching lacks heart, the viewing experience is a dreary, soulless one. Minor Premise (2020) – Movie Review. Watched on the edge of my seat... so many twists and turns. His father (Nikolas Kontomanolis) is sitting at a desk telling him how things work in academia. Delving into the science of the soul, the intriguing central concept is heavily based in neurological theory; ambitiously questioning the ethics of editing our memories in order to become our ideal self. Director Eric Schultz’s MINOR PREMISE accomplishes a great deal with its minimalist approach to the genre. You will get mess up with the neuroscience jargon, the formulas, the whole context is so complex. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Hello scifi lovers, I saw this flick last night , I was curious mainly because de good reviews here, but couldn´t finish, I coud no make it though the first 30 minutes. It does run a bit long but overall, it’s a really fascinating movie. Awards Wanting to surpass his father’s legacy, Ethan (Sathya Sridharan, Bikini Moon, Blind Spot), a young neuroscientist, embarks on a mind-altering experiment which leaves his consciousness split into ten contrasting versions of himself. It's up there with PRIMER and INTACTO. The performance by Sathya Sridharan is pretty damn remarkable. After using the device that he’s been working on, Ethan begins having lengthy blackouts. Minor Premise is available On Demand across all of the major platforms. It kept my wife and I guessing until the very end. It’s entertaining and thought-provoking and packs one helluva punch. The result is a fabulous yet incredibly harrowing central performance from Sathya Sridharan as Ethan. I didn't really believe in the protaganists passionate, single minded pursuit of "the work" nor his partner's total commitment to stick by him in the most extreme circumstances. Breakthrough in science fiction filmmaking. With that said, "Minor Premise" delivers at several levels that keep you interested and wanting to crack the code yourself throughout the film. Writer/Director/Producer Eric Schultz admits to intrigue in this area, and with this film, he ensures many others will become equally as intrigued. Ethan retreats to his basement and turns to himself as a test subject. It’s entertaining and thought-provoking and packs one helluva punch. This would have been fine if you were invested in the characters but they were hard to root for as their motivations just did not seem convincing. | Didn't know what to expect going in-the beginning threw you into the plot right away, but by the end of the film I didn't really miss the usual extra exposition & setup. Minor Premise is available On Demand across all of the major platforms. "Minor Premise" is a microbudget indie puzzler in the vein of "Primer," "Pi" and "Memento." The protagonist creates many versions of himself for science. Minor PremiseNot rated. It went over my head at times but keep with it to see the conclusion. Wow! Minor Premise is available On Demand across all of the major platforms. It’s entertaining and thought-provoking and packs one helluva punch. It delves into detail of mapping out the mind and memory. A neuroscientist named Ethan (Sathya Sridharan) attempts to emerge from the shadow of his late father — also a neuroscientist — with his own breakthrough in the study of consciousness, by altering the subject’s memory to create a more ideal self. The conclusion is not completely earned by the end credits, but Minor Premise‘s aspirations are far greater than movies with much larger budgets and star power. Finely drawn characters and grade A performances from the whole cast and the director, too. Predictably, things go very wrong: His consciousness splits into ten different personalities, some more aggressive and uncooperative than others, appearing for six minutes an hour. | You’ll be scratching your head for days, and you won’t shake the feeling for even longer. Through Ethan's lead character, we must ponder if the mind is something to be played with, for it might have drastic consequences. Minor Premise uses much more sophisticated technical jargon than I can attempt in a way to convince us that Ethan really knows his stuff. It’s entertaining and thought-provoking and packs one helluva punch. 'Minor Premise' (2020) Movie Review The easiest, most obvious comparison point for Eric Schultz’s Minor Premise is Shane Carruth’s Primer . 68 FULL REVIEW AT CLAPPERLTD.CO.UK + LISTEN TO CLAPPERCAST HERE Minor Premise follows neuroscientist Ethan Kochar (an excellent, complex performance by Sathya Sridharan) who has retreated into isolation and become obsessed with … "Minor Premise" was very creative with lots of Memento vibes and phenomenal cinematography. The performance by Sathya Sridharan is pretty damn remarkable. Part of the ambition here is in watching a film that's so smart it's practically experimental when compared to the average sci-fi fare. Eric Schultz ’s “Minor Premise” comes from a particularly hardcore strand of sci-fi storytelling, the kind that wants to sneak a thriller inside an intense science lesson. Please consult the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before watching movies inside theaters. After co-producing a string of acclaimed films that ran the festival circuit, Eric Shultz takes the directorial reins for the first time with Minor Premise, a mind-splintering sci-fi that examines questions of memory, personality and the psyche. Advertisement. Minor Premise is an exciting but overlong exploration of one man’s scattered psyche. Minor Premise plays out like a trippy dissection of the human psyche. | A neuroscientist named Ethan (Sathya Sridharan) attempts to emerge from the shadow of his … worth a watch. A great choice if you’re a fan of sci-fi stories that utilize both thriller and drama elements. It can feel a bit heavy going until you acclimatize and let yourself roll with it. Really impressive debut film & surprisingly thrilling!! Eric Schultz crafts a thought-provoking film based around the concept of mind and memories. Characters were unconvincing but an interesting concept. Awesome story! A commendable blend of cerebral science fiction concepts, surrealist sequences, and an impressively grounded narrative, Minor Premise avoids any genre pitfalls by focusing on the development of the central character’s emotional arc to create an engrossing character study with an ending that’ll leave you reeling for days! Minor Premise is the latest in the line of science-fiction films intent on frazzling your brain. In Eric Schultz’s debut feature, “Minor Premise,” that catch is addressed five minutes in. You’ll be scratching your head for days, and you won’t shake the feeling for even longer. Minor Premise Review: A Brain Battles in Impressive Sci-Fi Indie Jared Mobarak ○ December 2, 2020 The most important memory for audiences to remember is the one Ethan (Sathya Sridharan) specifically tried to forget. Those cycles fill out this lean thriller but make it repetitive and tedious. Writer/Director/Producer Eric Schultz admits to intrigue in this area, and with this film, he ensures many others will become equally as intrigued. Experiments with consciousness go berserk in Eric Schultz’s lean neurological feature debut. Bolstering superb cinematography and sound design, the surreal technicality provides a kick that’ll stir one’s gray matter. Totally original, compelling sci-fi from an Indy studio that focused on script and story, not CGI. Definitely very interesting and suspenseful. If you’re a fan of sci-fi and issues surrounding the human state and why we are who we […] A well perfect thriller to explore our emotions attached to our brain showed in clearly in one character.. have to watch slowly to get over the answers.. 10 Dimensions wow it's awesome. A brilliantly intricate and mindbending thriller that explores so many emotional planes within one character. Minor Premise plays out like a trippy dissection of the human psyche. Ethan’s colleague and estranged girlfriend Alli (Paton Ashbrook, the niece of the “Twin Peaks” actor Dana Ashbrook, who also stars in the film) comes to his aid, but their relationship isn’t fleshed out enough to justify her staying through this volatile and irrational trial. “Minor Premise” is a movie that works far better when you’re assembling the mess of the intentionally blurred reality. In Eric Schultz’s debut feature, “Minor Premise,” that catch is addressed five minutes in. It is, if not unethical, at least a dense concept, one the film is constantly defeated by. Minor Premise rests on a select number of individuals’ hefty talent, and it succeeds across the board. Like what you see here on Hammer to Nail? Fantasia 2020: Minor Premise Review Premiering at Fantasia Film Festival 2020 , Minor Premise is the latest in a line of cerebral science fiction films exploring the human consciousness. (Eric Shultz’s debut feature Minor Premise is available now on VOD. Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 Tom Meek Cambridge Day Minor Premise plays out like a trippy dissection of the human psyche. Science fiction films that explore big what-ifs always come with a catch. It was a really interesting concept with the split personality angle but difficult to grasp the thread of what was happening for much of the film. 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