Baghead 2008

With their debut feature THE PUFFY CHAIR (2005) unexpectedly garnering widespread acclaim, brothers Jay and Mark Duplass next aimed their handheld DV camera at dissecting the pretentiousness of the indie film scene, injecting a healthy dose of horror elements for added depth. The outcome is an engaging, unconventional blend of humor, astute observations, and thrills that will captivate viewers willing to venture off the beaten path. Matt (Ross Partridge), inspired by the lavish praise bestowed upon a colleague’s lackluster film (WE ARE NAKED) at a Los Angeles film festival, becomes determined to outdo him. With his on-again, off-again partner Catherine (Elise Muller), as well as friends Michelle (Greta Gerwig, HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS) and Chad (Steve Zissis) in tow, they embark on a weekend getaway to a secluded cabin, intent on creating the film that will catapult them to stardom on the festival circuit. As Chad focuses his energies on winning over the disinterested Michelle, Matt concocts a cinematic concept: a mysterious figure donning a paper bag mask terrorizing a group of people in the woods. After an initial evening of boozy brainstorming, however, their idea takes on a life of its own, putting their relationships to the ultimate test as they find themselves entangled in a genuinely terrifying situation.

The seeds for BAGHEAD were sown during the making of THE PUFFY CHAIR, when the crew was asked to conjure up the most unsettling thought imaginable. Someone’s suggestion – “A guy with a bag on his head staring into your window” – proved to be an unlikely starting point for a film. Yet, by surrounding this notion with a relatable cast, genuine insights into human relationships, and genuinely spine-tingling moments, the Duplasses managed to craft a work that is clever, humorous, and refreshingly impossible to categorize.