The Playground (film)

Last updated
The Playground
The Playground 2017 Poster.jpg
Poster
Directed byEdreace Purmul
Written by
  • Edreace Purmul
  • Ramona Frye
  • Dean Mounir
Produced by
  • Edreace Purmul
  • Bart Cameron
  • Marisa Ditimus
  • Rayma Kendra Kulik
  • Chad Littlepage
  • Raj Milian
  • Rebecca Reyes
Starring
CinematographyRoger Sogues
Music bySami Matar
Production
company
SplitWorld Pictures
Distributed by Indie Rights
Release date
  • October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21)(VOD)
Running time
151 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

The Playground is a 2017 American thriller film directed by Edreace Purmul. The film was written by Purmul, Ramona Frye and Dean Mounir. It stars Myles Cranford, Merrick McCartha, Shane P. Allen, Christopher Salazar and Ghadir Mounib. The film won Best Narrative Feature at the San Diego Film Awards and was distributed by Indie Rights.

Contents

Plot

The story follows Joseph, Grandison, Jack, Jill and Mr. Vaugn. Joseph is a priest grappling with his morals. Grandison is an eager bum down on his luck. Jack is a convict, married to Jill, his frustrated wife. Mr. Vaugn is a business man whose fortune is slipping away. They all struggle against their inner demons while crossing paths in a fable orchestrated by a dark entity.

Cast

Production

Purmul began writing the script in 2013, inspired by questions around mass shootings in America. He created his own version of the Devil based on archetypes from ancient fables and integrated it into the characters. [2]

The cast is mostly made up of San Diego based actors. The film plays out like an anthology, observing five separate stories. Purmul says his elevator pitch for the film is Pulp Fiction meets The Devil's Advocate. [3]

Release

The film released on October 21, 2017. [4] It was distributed by Indie Rights. [5]

Reception

Critical response

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic says that Purmul has "crafted a film of tremendous vision and intentionality," [6] scoring it 3 out of 4. [4] Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson admits "it is a film to respect more than enjoy" [7] scoring the film 3 out of 5 stars. [4] Shirley Rodriguez at Independent Film Now said "the true playground we discover is the world itself and its inhabitants." [8]

Accolades

The film won Best Narrative Feature Film at the San Diego Film Awards in 2016. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fables</i> (comics) American comic book series

Fables is an American comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. Willingham served as sole writer for its entirety, with Mark Buckingham penciling more than 110 issues. The series featured various other pencillers over the years, most notably Lan Medina and Steve Leialoha. Fables was launched in July 2002 and concluded in July 2015. It was revived in 2022 with a 12-issue continuation to the main series, as well as a 6-issue spin-off miniseries Batman vs. Bigby! A Wolf in Gotham, both published under DC Black Label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITVS</span>

ITVS is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens on PBS. Aside from Independent Lens, ITVS funded and produced films for more than 40 television hours per year on the PBS series POV, Frontline, American Masters and American Experience. Some ITVS programs are produced along with organizations like Latino Public Broadcasting and KQED.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Horner (comics)</span> Comics character

Jack Horner is a fictional character in the comic book series Fables by Bill Willingham. His first appearance was in issue #1 of Fables and he continued as a regular character of the series until leaving the series for his own title, Jack of Fables. The character is based on various nursery rhymes and fables with characters named Jack, including Little Jack Horner, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, Jack Be Nimble, Jack Frost, Jack O'Lantern, and Jack the Giant Killer, and among others.

<i>Witchcraft</i> (1964 film) 1964 British film

Witchcraft is a 1964 British horror film directed by Don Sharp and starring Lon Chaney Jr., Jack Hedley and Jill Dixon. The script was written by Harry Spalding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego International Film Festival</span> Film festival

The San Diego International Film Festival is an independent film festival in San Diego, California, produced by the non-profit San Diego Film Foundation. The main event has traditionally been held annually in the autumn at venues in the Gaslamp Quarter, La Jolla and Balboa Park.

<i>Irrational Man</i> (film) 2015 American film by Woody Allen

Irrational Man is a 2015 American mystery comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey and Jamie Blackley. The film was released on July 17, 2015, by Sony Pictures Classics in a limited release, later expanding wider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indie Rights</span>

Indie Rights, Inc. is an American distributor of independent films, based in Los Angeles, California. Indie Rights is a subsidiary of Nelson Madison Films and was incorporated in 2007 to act as distributor for other independent filmmakers. The corporation began as a private MySpace group where the makers of independent films could get information about the changing face of film distribution; founders Linda Nelson and Michael Madison created Indie Rights so that distribution contracts could be signed by a legal entity. The corporation distributes films largely through video on demand services, though more recently it has overseen such theatrical releases as We Are Kings and Fray, both in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Rodriguez</span> American documentary filmmaker

Phillip Rodriguez is an American documentary filmmaker and veteran content provider for PBS.

Zhao Shu-zhen is a Chinese film, stage and television actress. She is best known internationally for her portrayal of the grandmother in Lulu Wang's film The Farewell (2019), which earned her many accolades including the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merrick McCartha</span> American actor

Merrick McCartha is an American actor who appeared on television shows such as All American (2020–2021),Criminal Minds (2012–2015), Rebel (2017) and Unstable (2023). His film credits include Anatomy of an Antihero: Redemption (2018), Failure! (2023), Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea (2023) and The Playground (2017).

Ray Gallardo is an American film director and cinematographer known for his direction of Cafe Con Leche (2018), Callejero (2015), Above the Tin (2018), Entrenched: Prologue (2019) and his cinematography in Friend of the World (2020),The Fifth of November (2018) and Touch (2022).

<i>Love All You Have Left</i> 2017 film by Matt Sivertson

Love All You Have Left is a 2017 drama film written and directed by Matt Sivertson. The film stars Caroline Amiguet, Sara Wolfkind, Michael Christopher Shantz, Mike Burnell and Kathleen Sheehy. The story depicts Anne Frank surviving in the attic of a grieving family.

<i>The Fifth of November</i> 2018 film by Javier Augusto Nunez

The Fifth of November is a 2018 psychological thriller short film directed by Javier Augusto Nunez and written by Nunez and Qurrat Ann Kadwani. The film stars Kadwani, William H. Bryant Jr., Joanna DeLane and Shaw Jones.

<i>Skin: The Movie</i> 2018 film by Ronn Kilby

Skin: The Movie is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Ronn Kilby. The film stars Mark Christopher Lawrence, Diane Sargent, Michelle Way, Merrick McCartha and "Shotgun Tom" Kelly.

<i>Hush</i> (2016 short film) 2016 horror film by Michael Lewis Foster

Hush is a 2016 horror drama short film written and directed by Michael Lewis Foster. The film stars Rachel Barker, Luke Bedsole, Eric Casalini and Ghadir Mounib. It screened at San Diego International Film Festival and Catalina Film Festival and won awards at Oceanside International Film Festival and Horrible Imaginings Film Festival. The film was distributed by Seed&Spark and Bloody Disgusting.

<i>The Case of Evil</i> 2014 film by Jana and Neal Hallford

The Case of Evil is a 2014 horror drama short film written and directed by Jana and Neal Hallford. The film stars Merrick McCartha and Rebecca Sausedo. It premiered at Horrible Imaginings Film Festival on October 12, 2014.

<i>The Heiress Lethal</i> 2010 film by Michael Brueggemeyer

The Heiress Lethal, also known as The Fatal Heir, is a 2010 American noir comedy short film directed by Michael Brueggemeyer and written by Marianne Bates. The film stars Merrick McCartha, Cristyn Chandler, Jim Teiper and Ron Christopher Jones. It won Best Film at 48 Hour Film Project San Diego and screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival after qualifying through Filmapalooza at the Miami International Film Festival. The film was later nominated for a Pacific Southwest Emmy Award at National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Michael Lewis Foster is an American filmmaker who directed the film To Fall in Love (2023) and wrote and directed the short film Hush (2016). He has won awards at Horrible Imaginings Film Festival and Oceanside International Film Festival.

References

  1. "The Playground (2017)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  2. Bailey, Torrey (2017-10-11). "Devil of a Time". San Diego CityBeat . 16 (9): 20 via Issuu.
  3. Accomando, Beth (2017-10-12). "San Diego Indie Feature, 'The Playground' Has World Premiere Thursday". KPBS Public Media . Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Playground - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  5. "The Playground - Indie Rights Movies". Indie Rights . Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. Propes, Richard. "The Independent Critic - "The Playground" Hits the Festival Circuit". The Independent Critic. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  7. Shanahan, Don (2016-04-18). "MOVIE REVIEW: The Playground". Every Movie Has a Lesson. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  8. Rodriguez, Shirley (2016-05-09). "The Playground directed by Edreace Purmul". Independent Film Now. Archived from the original on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  9. Myers, Heather (2017-10-11). "New thriller 'The Playground' made in San Diego gets theatrical release". KFMB-TV . Retrieved 2021-08-08.