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We all know people who try way too hard to be something they’re not. They try to be cooler or smarter or more popular than they really are. And when a young woman tries to become a part of the indie music scene in Poser, it’s clear that it can’t end well.
Poser finds its way into the underground music scene in Columbus, Ohio, with Lennon Gates (Silvie Mix), who’s decided that the best way to become a part of the local music inner circle is to start a podcast featuring live music and artist interviews. And, for a while, it works. She finds artists who are willing to open up to her, and she’s even befriended by Bobbi Kitten, a vibrant pop artist who encourages Lennon to explore her own art. But Lennon’s desperation to be a part of this community leads her to make some terrible choices.
As Lennon works her way into this tight-knit community of artists, her world is filled with art and music and poetry—and some of the random conversations that are so common in a club late at night. From the start, it’s driving and mesmerizing and utterly absorbing. But there’s a darkness that steadily builds underneath it all—this sense of dread of what’s to come.
It’s no wonder that Lennon is obsessed with these underground artists; the indie artists featured in the film—both real and fictional—are a fascinating mix of quirky and charismatic. The venues they play, the places they hang out, and their performances are all portrayed in a way that’s so ultra-cool that anyone would want to be a part of it. And Lennon is well aware that they’re everything she’s not.
On her own, Lennon is a pretty bland character: young and fresh-faced and completely forgettable. But she wants so desperately to be like the art scene hipsters who can wax poetic about art and life and music—and like the musicians who are edgy and beautiful and alluring—so she secretly records conversations and performances. She rehearses lines and mimics mannerisms, and she writes her favorite lyrics in her ever-present notebook. No matter how hard she tries to fit in, she’s always lurking just on the outside, giving viewers a constant uneasiness that’s impossible to shake—until all of the music and drama races to the story’s intense conclusion.
With its driving beats and captivating characters, Poser delves into a world that’s rarely explored in any kind of depth. Beneath the darkness and the music and the tension, it’s also perceptive and clever—as edgy and ultra-cool as the artists it features.
Poser makes its theatrical debut in limited release on June 3, 2022. It expands to NY/LA on June 17th, with nationwide rollout to follow.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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