Film Review: Dylan & Zoey tackles sensitive subject matter in an intelligent fashion

Initially, it can’t be denied, Dylan & Zoey does adhere to certain rules that the “Indie film playbook” so often lays out for new filmmakers to navigate.  This is by no means a criticism of Matt Sauter‘s film, merely an observation that the simplistic settings, dialogue-heavy characters and their societal views, and “me against the world” mentality are undoubtedly familiar.  But when the film reveals why such a temperament is evident, not to mention the introduction of its titular Zoey, something else entirely takes over.

Heavy thematics take shape quickly in Sauter’s script when he brings together Dylan (co-writer Blake Scott Lewis), an LA resident and 28-year-old virgin, and Zoey (Claudia Doumit, best known from Amazon’s The Boys), a more sexually experienced Denver native, who reunite after many years and, quite quickly, wax lyrical on their religious and dating views in a series of passionate conversations that don’t quite hit the emotional depth the film eventually devotes itself to.

In what could potentially be triggering to certain viewers, Dylan & Zoey soon discuss their traumatic pasts and key experiences that have shaped them in the now.  Sexual assault is what lays at the film’s core, and though Sauter and Lewis’s script never make light of such brutality, the defence mechanism of approaching their trauma with bouts of humour allows the film to seemingly make it okay to discuss such.  The film thrives in attacking its situations with shades of grey.

As the conversations flit between awkwardly informative and heart-breaking, the performances of Lewis and Doumit are uniformly perfect.  Both create characters that feel entirely lived-in (assisted by their real-life friendship) and not once do they drop an emotional beat that doesn’t feel organic; the film’s defining scene belonging mainly to Doumit as she descends into her past, slowly breaking apart with a monologue that speaks to her strength as an actress and Sauter’s honest direction.

A small film that’s only quiet in its structure, Dylan & Zoey offers a sensitive story and intelligent, modern characters tackling sexual issues in an uncompromising, involved fashion.  As difficult as the film may be in terms of content, it has much to say about our culture.

FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)

Dylan & Zoey is screening in North American theatres and available On Demand from November 11th, 2022.  An Australian release is yet to be determined.

Peter Gray

Film critic with a penchant for Dwayne Johnson, Jason Momoa, Michelle Pfeiffer and horror movies, harbouring the desire to be a face of entertainment news.