If he could do “Project Greenlight” again, executive producer Issa Rae told IndieWire, he wouldn’t be making a genre film.
On the same day Max launched the 10-episode reality series about a director’s journey for the first time on screen, the streamer also launched “Gray Matter,” the sci-fi thriller director Meko Winbush shot in 18 days. while “Greenlight” documented the process. At just 86 minutes, the film is visually compelling and makes good use of its lead actors – a solid debut for Winbush and the ultimate win for ‘Greenlight’.
“Gray Matter” is primarily the story of mother Ayla (Jessica Frances Dukes) and daughter Aurora (Mia Isaac), two superpowered beings who live in isolation as Ayla stalks her daughter to control and hide what she can do. Her fears are proven but hidden from Aurora, prompting the lonely teenager to sneak out of the house with disastrous effect. Aurora wakes up in Derek’s (Garret Dillahunt) custody and desperately tries to reconnect with her mother.
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Perhaps the most recurring concern in “Greenlight” is Phil Gelatt’s screenplay, which has a welcome simple structure but dialogue that could, for the most part, be lifted from assorted films in the same category. Another source of inconvenience is the modest budget, which limits the size and scope of a film that requires multiple sets, practical effects and a surprising amount of blood splatter. Winbush and editor Byron Wong go both ways, making the contained world of “Gray Matter” work for most of the film. Between Ayla, Aurora, and Derek, viewers can string together some psychic ability mechanics in this world, as well as a fascinating visualization of thinking and memory (Aurora trying to repress her mother aspect is a particularly striking moment ).
With a lot to do and a minimum of experience, Isaac drives the film like a pro. He brings Aurora’s turbulent psychic struggles to the surface, picks up the action deftly, and brings a welcome realism to the scenes where she’s just a confused teenager. She and Andrew Liner sell sweet romance in a couple of scenes, and it pairs perfectly with Dillahunt’s measured, sinister energy. The film hinges on her mother-daughter relationship (also often referenced in “Greenlight”), and the combination of Isaac and Dukes makes for some of the most sizzling scenes anywhere – it’s just a shame they don’t share more time together in the half.
‘Gray Matter’ looks thinner in its final act, when that budget visibly shrinks before your eyes. A drawn-out sequence in Aurora’s mind goes on for too long, leading to a muted climax and an intriguing (if somewhat unearned) final blow. Andrew Jeric’s cinematography and Masha Smolianinova’s art direction take over during those lulls, having also provided a solid canvas for the rest of the film. The ending feels both slow and rushed somehow, but “Gray Matter” shows the strengths of her earlier.
Rae (and fellow executive producers Gina Prince-Blythewood and Kumail Nanjiani) also said that audiences should watch “Project Greenlight” before diving into “Gray Matter” in order to understand the immense effort put into this or any other movie (including the bad ones). “Gray Matter” may not be great in and of itself, but “Greenlight” underscores what an achievement simply making a movie is.
The real success story is Winbush – a black female director now firmly entrenched in the industry, who has worked with the likes of Max, HOORAE, CatchLight Studios and 3 Arts Entertainment – who made a movie while simultaneously starring in a reality show. If that’s not a superpower, what is?
Grade: B-
“Gray Matter” and “Project Greenlight” are now streaming on Max.
