‘Living Room Coffin’ VOD Review
Stars: Jennifer Prediger, Blake Berris, Irene Roseen, Remy Bennett, Mark Boone Junior, Johnny Pemberton, Eden Riegel, Linas Phillips, Johnny Pemberton | Written and Directed by Michael Sarrow
Its no secret that I am nothing if not a sucker for what I call the “indie darling.” By this I mean the movies that sneak out under everyone’s radar and tend to revolve around a day in the life of our central characters, not a massive great deal is going on but we are suckered into spending an hour and a half with these people, usually due to well written dialogue and well rounded performances. Living Room Coffin, at first glance, looked like it would definitely be in that category – which made it a definite watch for me!
I am going to get into Living Room Coffin‘s story in a moment but first of all I want to highlight the performance of our female lead, Jennifer Prediger, who is superb and carries this flick from open to close. She really hooked me in with her effortlessly dry portrayal of Iris Hawthorn whilst also hitting every comedic beat on cue. Jennifer had me laughing one moment and feeling pretty somber the next, only to pick me right back up. Make no mistake this is Jennifer’s movie, However she has a wealth to work with thanks to writer/director Micheal Sarrow having penned some snappy, witty, awkward and at times dark dialogue and scenarios for the cast to really sink there teeth into.
Iris Hawthorn is a 911 hotline receptionist and spends her days comparing suicide and assault calls with her colleague. When we meet her she seems pretty bored and fairly lonely in her personal life but that is all about to change with the delivery of a coffin from an unknown sender. After receiving a couple more mysterious deliveries and being fully creeped out, she goes on a mission to find out who could have sent these gifts. The prime suspects include her on/off boyfriend Seth, a haunted house owner, the local church, and a funeral parlor worker… The irony here being the delivery of death introduces new life to Iris!
While Living Room Coffin is not 100% perfect, at a swift 80-odd minutes there is no time to dwell on the weaker moments, which is the key here because everyone on show really looks to be bringing their best game. From Jennifer Prediger in the lead role, to boyfriend Seth (Blake Berris), Mom Edith (Irene Roseen), best friend Patricia (Remy Bennett), and the recurring delivery guys (Linas Phillips, Johnny Pemberton). To be honest this supporting cast is a who’s who of “Hey I know that guy” and they are all putting in great supporting roles. Then there is the surprise appearance of Sons of Anarchy alum Mark Boone Junior which really really put a smile on my face as a big Sons fan.
This is a big recommend from me, you should definitely check it out. If you like smart, endearing, witty stories, with a well structured narrative and great well-rounded performances, this movie is for you. A definite “indie gem” in my books. I want to see Prediger doing more and I will be keeping an eye out for her future roles. I personally loved this movie and hope you guys do too.
The charming comedy with the unusual name, Living Room Coffin is available now on Amazon Direct Video, and will be available on iTunes and GooglePlay later this month.
