Press Release: Quarantine Roommate(s)
Quarantine Roommate(s) is Director Kyle Holbrook’s second film and follow up to the 2013 and feature fictional film Art of Life that featured renowned artist Vanessa German, talk show host Joy Taylor, and the late great Mac Miller.
In contrast to his debut with the large cast and sets this sophomore directorial effort, Quarantine Roommate(s) is a short and much smaller operation with the film’s setting primarily taking place in the confines of the lead characters Condominium.
Holbrooks’ avant-garde filmmaking style of incorporating digital art, paintings, multiple camera angles, and his murals with in-your-face cinematography unafraid to push the boundaries refusing to remain status quo is on full display.
Quarantine Roommate(s)’ first installment: Episode 1-‘Locked Down’ shows a lead character in quarantine suffering from an evident mental illness, presumably schizophrenia. Holbrook is one of a duo of characters that represent the lead character in the film.
The second personification in the duet, making his acting debut is Shannon “Nuck” Francis (who is the son of famous Pittsburgh Pirates baseball pitcher Earl Francis). Illusions of the lead character’s lady interest, played by Madelyn Cruz, show themselves at various times throughout the film.
Almost certainly a feeling of loss or remorse and loneliness is permeated through the character as the film teeters with the horror genre. “Locked down”, the first installment, quite overtly shows the negative impact quarantine had on this individual while shedding light on the important issue of mental health.
It’s worth noting the film’s noble attempt at visually depicting mental turbulence within the mind through visual, mental, and verbal cues, the dialogue is secondary. Director Kyle Holbrook reiterated, “The intent of future episodes of the series is: “to show the variety and variation in people’s quarantine experience.
Quarantine Roommate(s) is a microcosm of society as all walks of life experienced this moment of history simultaneously and uniquely. Although solitary some were able to achieve and accomplish while utilizing the time in quarantine for positive self-reflection and personal gain.”
Hopeful doesn’t describe the character in this series premiere episode; in fact, it contrarily showcases serious hopelessness, on the brink of a zombie apocalypse as the lead experiences the Covid-19 restrictions in real-time.
It seems for this artistic short, neither the character nor the audience understand fully the visions and ramifications of the thoughts that manifest through the sometimes sinister imagery. Quarantine Roommate(s) Episode one- ‘Locked Down’ achieves the quality of anticipation as to what future episodes in the series may hold.
