Miracle Valley

Last updated
Miracle Valley
Poster miracle valley 2021.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Greg Sestero
Written byGreg Sestero
Produced byTom Franco
Iris Torres
Release date
  • 2021 (2021)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

Miracle Valley is a 2021 horror film written, directed, and produced by Greg Sestero.

Contents

Plot synopsis

An obsessive nature photographer and his girlfriend are invited to a desert getaway where they uncover a sinister cult.

Production

Sestero wrote the screenplay while living in Arizona, where the film was also shot and set, [1] and was inspired by locations in the state including an abandoned church in Cochise County [2] and an abandoned mine house in Patagonia, Arizona. [3] Sestero wanted to write an homage to Slasher cinema and 1970s horror cinema, and also cited The Thing , Don't Breathe , Breakdown , and the works of Alfred Hitchcock including Psycho . [3]

Sestero scouted locations himself for the film, and collaborated with Matthew Halla as director of photography, whom he had met through USC School of Cinematic Arts. [3]

The film was produced by Tom Franco, who also produced The Disaster Artist , the film adaptation of Greg Sestero's book of the same name, and his wife Iris Torres. [1] Torres also worked on the film as assistant director. [3]

Release

The film premiered at the Salem Horror Festival in 2021. [1] It was released on streaming service Tubi on September 16 2022. [4]

Reception

Both Sestero and critics compared the film to The Room , a cult film Sestero starred in, which has been called "the best worst movie ever made." [5] Referencing the film, Sestero said, "Hopefully, Miracle Valley ends up as the second best worst movie ever made." [4] while, writing for Sight and Sound , critic Anton Bitel wrote, "Perhaps Sestero’s debut as writer/director seeks to replicate The Room's peculiar effect, leaving the viewer unsure whether its tone-deaf awfulness is a product of unhinged sincerity or knowing irony." [6]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Ritman, Alex (1 October 2021). "How 'The Room' Star Greg Sestero Channelled Tommy Wiseau for His Debut Feature 'Miracle Valley'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  2. "FILMED IN TUCSON: MIRACLE VALLEY COMES TO THEATERS SOON". Tucson Lifestyle. 1 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Guttmann, Graeme (21 January 2022). "Greg Sestero Interview: Miracle Valley". Screenrant. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 Ntim, Zac (12 September 2022). "'Miracle Valley': Horror Film From 'Disaster Artist' Writer Greg Sestero Set For Tubi Debut". Deadline. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. Colin, Jack (4 November 2021). "Cult Classic 'The Room': Looking Back at the Best Worst Movie Ever Made". Hollywood Insider. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  6. Bitel, Anton (6 December 2021). "Halloween FrightFest 2021 round-up". Sight and Sound. British Film Institute. Retrieved 20 October 2023.