Sickly
From the Archives
•
30-Nov-2021
Anxiously convinced his flu-like symptoms could be something much worse, a luckless Brooklynite searches for medical care. Byron Leon directs “Sickly,” a tense ride through New York City that was unbelievably made before the Covid-19 pandemic. After coming down with a bad cough and a high fever, the man is convinced he needs to go to the hospital. His gamer roommate casually dissuades him of that (“have you been to a hospital?”), instead suggesting a walk-in clinic in the city. The sickly man takes his advice and heads off into the night, where he blazes a trail through irritated Uber drivers and nurse receptionists; express trains and insurance problems add to the chaos. Leon’s film plays like a thriller, shot on film, often using long lens’, and it’s a hugely prescient film that reflects with our current moment of health panic. -KA.
Director: Byron Leon. Producer: Alexandria Sherman. Starring: Michael San Juan. Director of Photography: Robert Bevis. Production Design: Katie Friedman. Editors: Jacob Gordon, Byron Leon.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Physical Thoughts
A dancer reflects on a recent injury in Anne Hollowday’s “Physical Thoughts.” A vivid portrait rendered with striking images and poetic narration, it’s a film about the limits of verbal expression (“we all have thoughts; we don’t share many of them”) and the possibilities of physical expression (...
-
Morning Without Light
A father in rural Pakistan comes to a realization during the morning routine with his family. Maazin Kamal directs “Morning Without Light,” a black and white observational narrative of a small family living in isolation from the modern world. The father starts his day early by rinsing off at a cr...
-
SHITHEAD
A man with shit for brains struggles to cope with his strange condition. “SHITHEAD” directed by Riley Donigan, follows a young man on the brink of physical and psychological implosion. The opening sequence aptly foreshadows the portrait ahead. A log floats in the toilet while we overhear a phone...
