“Pale,” a post-apocalyptic drama coming to theaters and “On Demand” this Spring, follows two sisters as they run through a barren landscape, and broken cityscape, on a chase for freedom and safety leading to revolt. Writer/director Brent Bentman gave me the opportunity to see a 20 minute teaser, which piqued my interest as the two main characters were introduced and the action got moving.
We meet Natalie (Katie Kohler) and Sarah West (Ashlyn McEvers) as they enter the ruined remains of a city and look for shelter. After a bit of expository dialogue, they realize someone hunts them. In the ensuing chase, Bentman uses a few plot twists to show us important information about the world these two women live in. By the end of the sequence, the two sisters are separated, and an angry mob bears down on Nancy while Sarah runs for cover.
“Pale” gives its audience a look and feel reminiscent of “The Book of Eli” and even this year’s masterful “The Revenant.” Bentman uses natural light and appropriately worn locations to convey the idea of societal breakdown on a widespread level. This works in combination with the two lead characters’ weariness, which is evident from the first frame, to bring the audience into the story immediately, having us wonder what is really going on here. Kohler and McEvers solidly communicate as much with body language and facial expression as with dialogue. Kohler’s Natalie sets up as the stronger of the two sisters, with McEvers’ Sarah following her lead. It will be interesting to see how each character reacts to being separated from the other. Will Sarah grow enough to make it on her own? will Natalie survive long enough to go looking for her sister and lone traveling companion?
For me, questions like these proved the teaser to be interesting at the very least. I don’t know what happens at the beginning of the story, though we do see an older woman, clearly one of the two sisters, telling her story in an interview. Whether “Pale” builds on its promise remains to be seen since the final product is a few months from completion. The little bit of the film I saw demonstrated Brentman as a competent director with a confident hand and what seemed to be a clear sense for where the story headed. My only real criticism at this point lay in the music, which tended to dominate the dialogue and swallow the action with a distracting bit of early 1980s synth sound. Again, the score could easily change and was probably put together for the teaser itself.
Kohler and McEvers have created a pair of strong women who draw us into the action. Though production continues, “Pale” engages the audience with interesting questions, wonderful lead characters, and a fantastic milieu working in sync to provide something worth exploring further. What Bentman and his cast have created leaves me wanting more.
