CFF 2024: The Buildout

“The Buildout” is a thought-provoking, jaw-dropping film that proves how far a tiny budget can go in the hands of a visionary filmmaker.

In the filmmaker intro to The Buildout at Chattanooga Film Festival, writer-director Zeshaan Younus explained his vision for this Terrence Malick-inspired tale of the paranormal. He urged audiences to try to feel it more than they try to understand it, which will be a siren call for some viewers and a red flag to others.

If you tend to enjoy films as experiences rather than straightforward narrative stories, there’s a better-than-average chance you’ll be swept up in the beautiful oblivion of The Buildout.

Cameron (Jenna Kanell; Terrifier, Faceless After Dark) has agreed to accompany her friend Dylan (Hannah Alline; Doom Patrol, Mayfair Witches) to the desert, where Dylan will make a new life on a church (quite possibly a cult) compound.

It’s supposed to be sacred land, closed off to visitors, but Dylan desperately needs Cameron’s moral support to give her the courage to uproot her life in this monumental way.

Both women are still reeling from grief over the death of Dakota (Danielle Evon Ploeger), Cameron’s sister and Dylan’s best friend. It takes some time before we know how Dakota died and understand the magnitude of guilt that compounds that grief, especially for recovering addict Dylan.

In typical horror film fashion, strange things happen in this desert, filmed in an area of the Southern California desert known as a hotbed of paranormal activity. The church encampment appears to be deserted. The footage recorded by the early settlers suggests something ominous happened. Ghostly visions begin to plague Cameron and Dylan.

However, as chilling as that setup is, this isn’t really a film about supernatural scares but rather human relationships and the natural horrors born out of them.

At its heart, The Buildout is a character study—and a potent one at that.

It’s a film with a great deal going for it, but its biggest asset is the strength of its two leads and how investing and believable their relationship is. There’s an undeniable chemistry between Kannell and Alline, conveying a tenderness and deep bond. Yet, beneath the surface of their obvious affection for one another, a palpable tension simmers.

Some truths and secrets lie uneasy between them, secrets that won’t stay buried. These are women haunted by ghosts, but they are ghosts carried with them to the desert rather than ones awaiting their arrival.

It’s a slow build of tension in a relatively quiet film, but that’s not to say it isn’t riveting. Kannell and Alline are extraordinary at investing you in their journey while you wait for mysteries to unravel.

Compounding that captivation is the film’s immensely intoxicating cinematography.

This film is visually stunning, boasting long takes of awe-inspiring natural scenery and a subtle score emphasizing diegetic sounds. This enhances the immersive experience and expertly conveys the vast beauty of the natural surroundings alongside the omnipresent threat.

Despite its minimalist storyline, The Buildout keeps things intriguing by alternating between intimate found footage and stunningly cinematic wide shots and close-ups.

In these heart-stopping, wide-open spaces, there’s an inescapable sense of dread and isolation—a provocative metaphor for feeling lost and powerless in the face of cosmic reckoning.

This is a film about searching: searching for self, purpose, belonging, and forgiveness. It’s about a quest that is daunting, even terrifying, but universally human—brought to life by two exquisite performances.

With stellar direction and thoughtful writing, it’s a remarkable debut from first-time filmmaker Younus.

Shot in just seven days entirely on location in the Southern California desert on a crowdfunded DIY budget, The Buildout is a stunning example of minimalist horror at its finest.

It’s also worth noting that Kanell deserves to be a huge star, and I hope her work in this film gets her one step closer.

Younus introduced his film to the CFF audience screening with a point of clarification: “This is not a horror film.” And he’s right; it’s not, at least not in the traditional sense. Despite that, I urge genre fans to seek this one out.

What The Buildout lacks in outright scares and gore, it more than makes up for in tension, atmosphere, mood, and resonant emotional performances.