- Starring
- Devin Das, Parker Seaman, Wes Schlagenhauf
- Writers
- Devin Das, Parker Seaman
- Director
- Parker Seaman
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 78 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of several reviews from this year’s Tribeca film Festival. To follow our coverage, click here.
When it comes to COVID-19 pandemic productions, either they embrace it or they avoid it altogether. Sometimes that decision is based on a lack of means but in spite of that, the best films make the best out of their limited circumstances and produce compelling content. While most audiences are surely ready to move on from the whole pandemic, they’d rather be uplifted after so many down years. Despite its title, Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying is a hopeful tale about the power of friendship and a love of filmmaking that just happens to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Boasting a brisk running time of just under 80 minutes, the film is a blast to watch thanks to the pair at its center, Devin Das and Parker Seaman, who not only star but also co-write with Seaman also directing. Though the film is definitely simple for some of the aforementioned reasons for better or worse, the pair make it well worth the watch.
Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying is a pretty self-explanatory title but the film itself was about a pair of friends named Devin (Das) and Parker (Seaman) who set out on a road trip to visit their actor friend Wes (Schlagenhauf) for what may potentially be the last time after he got infected with COVID-19. A pair of commercial directors looking for their big break, the two decided to document their experiences on the way to Wes and make it into a documentary. The fun of the film comes from Devin and Parker essentially figuring it out as they go along over the course of their road trip with the extra hurdle of the COVID-19 pandemic. While they made plenty of mistakes and had plenty of arguments along the way to add some tension to the proceedings, what drove them was their love of their friend and filmmaking. Meanwhile, the film throws in countless references that are sure to resonate with film buffs alongside taking some shots at commercialism. Ultimately, the lack of development of Wes failed to ground it as much as it should have been. All in all, there should have been more overall.
At the end of the day, the best part of Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying is the dynamic of Das and Seaman. Thanks to their great chemistry and writing, they were a blast to watch and easy to relate to and connect to on a deep emotional level. The film does not work if not for that.
Wes Schlagenhauf Is Dying is just comfort viewing which is kind of weird considering the subject matter but it’s just a pretense more than anything else.
still courtesy of Tribeca
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
