

What do you think? Are you a fan of indie artists like the ones featured in Poser? Share your thoughts in the comments below. With two fascinating lead performances, wonderful music, and Logan Floyd’s hypnotic cinematography, which captures the revamped industrial spaces and strobing lights of Columbus’ underground venues in a way that makes you wish you were there, there’s a lot about Poser that is worth checking out. After all, who wouldn’t want to be more like Bobbi Kitten? Poser should elevate her to the superstar status she deserves. Even as Lennon starts doing creepy things like showing up at places where she knows Bobbi will be, copying her makeup, and even photographing pages of her songwriting journal when she isn’t looking, there’s a part of you way down deep inside that cannot really blame her. Whether she’s in the midst of one of her energy-filled performances or a member of the audience watching a fellow artist, she immediately draws your attention and holds it - and not just because of her shocking mop of bright pink hair.

That Poser is willing and capable of laughing at itself despite its characters taking everything very seriously is part of what makes it so much fun (especially if, like me, you’ve never really been into podcasts anyway).īobbi Kitten is the bright sun around whom Lennon’s life increasingly revolves, and it’s easy to see why. When she pulls up Bobbi’s Instagram feed and starts mimicking her body language in the mirror, one cannot help but cringe on her behalf while simultaneously snickering at her almost childlike enthusiasm. There’s a biting, satirical bent to the way Poser portrays such hipster hangers-on, epitomized by Lennon secretly recording some pretentious conversations in an art gallery and then using those exact lines verbatim to try and impress Bobbi later in the movie.
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Throughout the film, Lennon doesn’t find her own voice so much as she learns how to mimic others. Who hasn’t noticed the wallflower hovering on the edge of the dance floor, or even been in that position themselves? Lennon’s entire identity revolves around her proximity to others even if you haven’t been that person, you probably know that person-and might be a little bit afraid of her yourself. Even at the very beginning of the film, it’s clear that there’s something slightly off about Lennon her behavior is strange, but in a way that is eerily familiar if you’ve ever been involved in a local arts scene. It’s just unfortunate that the film winds down to a rather silly ending that feels like a bit of a cop-out, as though the filmmakers didn’t know how else to finish the story.Īs Lennon, Mix is excellent, her deceptively quiet performance eliciting empathy and anxiety in equal measure.
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This lends a compelling authenticity to the story that makes it all the more disturbing to watch unfold - not to mention, provides it with a banging soundtrack full of exciting indie artists. Dixon and Segev provide a fresh take on a recognizable story by grounding it within an incredibly specific scene and highlighting many of the real-life Columbus-based artists whose music and personalities make it so unique and special. Yet despite it being pretty clear where Poser is going throughout, the film is nonetheless very enjoyable. The notion of a fan becoming frighteningly, obsessively close to an artist is nothing new. But it slowly becomes clear - albeit much more slowly for the characters in the film than the audience watching it-that Lennon’s admiration for the music scene has devolved into a dark obsession with being just like Bobbi that borders on dangerous. Despite thinking Lennon is more than a little weird, Bobbi decides to take her under her wing, teaching her about performance art and encouraging her as a budding songwriter. Lennon soon finds herself entranced by Bobbi Kitten (playing herself), one-half of the experimental witch rock duo Damn the Witch Siren, and a confident, charismatic performer who appears to be everything Lennon is not. The podcast is her entryway into this colorful, inspirational world it’s what she decides to do when she gets there that raises some eyebrows. Seeking to break out of her comfort zone - a refrain of hers throughout the film - she decides to launch a podcast featuring interviews with the local artists she admires. Painfully shy and awkward Lennon Gates ( Sylvie Mix, who made a powerful impression on me in the deeply personal horror film Double Wal k er) longs to become part of the hip underground music scene of Columbus. All About the Photos Episode 2: Portrait Session | 4K Vulture Culture
