In case you didn’t see the previously released trailer for 24 Exposures, the movie is filled with boobs both dead and alive, and though this is a much tamer trailer, given the nature of the subject matter, this may not be safe for work.
With a plot that seems taken from one of pulp author Carter Brown’s many hilariously sleazy novels, 24 Exposures is the latest film from the multitasking indie trio of director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) and stars Adam Wingard (You’re Next) and Simon Barrett (V/H/S). But instead of slashers or beer-soaked comedies, the focus this time is on exploitation and the line drawn between a profession and an obsession. It’s an easy line to recognize when the subject matter is fetish photography, assuming your attention isn’t swayed by all the nudity.
In the film, Wingard plays a photographer named Billy whose claim to fame is producing images of women to look as if they’ve been killed, usually from strangulation or bludgeoning. It doesn’t appear to be all about sex with him, as he already has a blooming relationship with two women. But only The Shadow knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, and Barrett stars as a detective who starts following Billy after a rash of recent murders in which women are found in situations similar to those from Billy’s photos. Is it him? Is it a mystery murderer? Or is it perhaps one of his subjects, sick and tired of being used to make weird people get off.
There’s no denying this isn’t a film for everyone, but it’s right at home for both IFC Midnight and fans of Swanberg, who has handled the drama of sex and nudity in previous films such as 2011’s Autoerotic and Caitlin Plays Herself. It’d be one thing if the film were trying to play itself off as the most dark and gritty thriller of the year, but the splashy 3D fonts and pulpish visuals make me think the movie will have a dark sense of humor riding beneath everything.
Similarly, the bright, contrasting colors used in the excellent new poster seen below evoke a story that still might try to have fun beyond all the bound wrists and slit throats. Of course, I could be completely wrong and it could be the most ham-fisted suspense thriller this side of the USA network in the early 1990s. But I would still want this poster on my wall.
You can find 24 Exposures both on a limited theatrical run one month from now on Friday, January 24, 2014. It will also be released on VOD the same day, giving you another nudity-centered activity you can do with your computer on a weekend. Check out the first NSFW trailer below.
