WFG RATING: A

Well Go USA Entertainment presents a Black Cat White Rabbit production in association with The South Australian Film Corporation. Directed by Matt Vesely. Produced by Bettina Hamilton. Written by Lucy Campbell. Cinematography by Michael Tessari. Edited by Tania Nehme.

Stars Lily Sullivan and the voices of Ling Cooper Tang, Damon Herriman, Ansuya Nathan, Erik Thomson, Terence Crawford, Matt Crook, and Kate Box. 

A young podcaster trying to seek redemption finds something sinister in this single-person film from director Matt Vesely.

An interviewer, once a major star on the podcast circuit, made a mistake and to seek solace, goes to her parents’ house in hopes to find a way to find redemption. Forced to work on a lower-ranked podcast, the Interviewer does her best to make amends, but is still deemed a pariah. However, an e-mail is set to change the course of things. The interviewer calls up former maid Floramae, who has something very shocking to reveal.

She had been given a black brick while working for a rich family. However, when she was fired from the job, the family took the brick as compensation. They sold it to a German art gallery owner, who surprisingly has more. As the Interview begins listening to the stories, she begins to discover that the bricks may not be of this world. She soon begins to get calls from others who had similar situations and she begins to feel the connection the callers are feeling. Will she be able to decipher the origins of the mysterious bricks?

From first time director Matt Vesely comes what could have sounded like a tedious boring film with the mere fact that there is only one actor in the entire film, not counting the voices that are heard throughout the film. However, the film relies not just on the performance of the single actress but the auditory performances of the voices heard in the film and both aspects elevate the film into a slow burn thriller that is definitely worth watching. While a subgenre tends to be the influencer or podcaster looking for redemption, the film, written by Lucy Campbell, brings something fresh to the trend. 

Evil Dead Rise’s Lily Sullivan is excellent in the singular human role of The Interviewer (she has no actual name). She is first realizing the consequences of her past actions only to find herself in a deeper hole. The character may as well be called “Alice” with Ling Cooper Tang serving as the “White Rabbit” who becomes the catalyst in the discovery of black bricks. Are the bricks just a coincidence or something extraterrestrial? As we go along with the Interviewer, there is a good chance that you will go deeper into the rabbit hole as well and will keep you guessing. We feel the emotions the Interviewer goes through in the chaos of things and in my case, felt her emotions alongside her. 

Monolith could be a surprise film of 2024 as what sounds like a boring concept is anything but, thanks to the emotional performance of star Lily Sullivan and the auditory performances notably of Ling Cooper Tang. Definitely worth checking out!

The film will be released in select theaters and on Digital on February 16.