The first shot hits like a sunstroke: a washed-up photographer (David Yow, oozing “I've seen things” energy) staring into the abyss of the Southwest. The trailer for Joshua Erkman's A Desert—part neo-noir, part Texas Chain Saw Massacre urbanoia—doesn't just tease a film. It dumps you into its sun-bleached nightmare and dares you to blink.
A Road Trip Gone Rotten
The premise sounds familiar—artist seeks inspiration, finds chaos—but Erkman's execution is anything but. The trailer's dialogue snaps like a bear trap (“You're too easy to rile up”), while Ty Segall's score thrums like a faulty motel neon sign. Comparisons to Hitchcock (mystery) and Chain Saw (dread) aren't just PR fluff; the footage oozes unease.
Hidden Gem: Watch for Kai Lennox's detective, whose smirk suggests he's either the hero or the devil. No in-between.
Why This Isn't Just “Another Horror Movie”
- The Cast: David Yow (of noise-rock legends The Jesus Lizard) brings a lived-in grit. His Harold isn't a victim—he's a catalyst.
- The Sound: Segall's score isn't background noise—it's a character. Distorted guitars mirror the film's descent into madness.
- The Buzz: Tribeca's midnight crowd ate it up, but FrightFest audiences called it “depraved”. That's a feature, not a bug.
Hot Take: If The Hitcher and Under the Silver Lake had a lovechild, it'd look like this.
Should You Brave the Desert?
The trailer's abrupt cuts and Yow's deadpan “Nothing happened” suggest a film that'll polarize. Love it or hate it, A Desert isn't playing safe—and in 2025's horror landscape, that's rare as a water mirage.
Your Move: Watch the trailer. Then check your pulse.
