Films: Bad Fever

Bad Fever

USA, 2011, 77 Minute Running Time
Genre/Subjects: American Indie, Dark Comedy, Drama, Romance
Programs: Contemporary World Cinema, New Directors Showcase
Language: English

DIRECTOR: Dustin Guy Defa
Producer: Dustin Guy Defa
Editor: David Lowery
Screenwriter: Dustin Guy Defa
Cinematographer: Mike Gioulakis
Principal Cast: Kentucker Audley, Eleonore Hendricks

A portrait of lonely souls in desperate need of connection as they roam an empty city, Dustin Guy Defa’s dramatic feature debut follows the fragile courtship between true antihero Eddie (the astonishing Kentucker Audley) and drifter Irene (Eléonore Hendricks). Defa gives his characters plenty of breathing room as they engage in their stunted forms of self-expression: Eddie dictates his thoughts into a voice recorder as he wanders the train tracks, building material for his stand–up routine, while Irene makes raunchy videotapes for an online acquaintance, eventually making Eddie take part. Their relationship unfolds—and unravels—in wrenchingly awkward scene after scene, culminating in a devastating fiasco at the local comedy club, where Eddie books his first gig in an attempt to impress his distant mother and publicize his love for his would-be girlfriend. 

While Defa subtly explores the search for validation and love by those on the margins of society, Audley’s outstanding performance ensures that Eddie’s softly beseeching voice will linger in your mind long after the credits roll. Beautifully shot and crafted, Bad Fever makes an earnest plea for a hopeless character.
—MATTHEW CAMPBELL

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