Outerlands 👏, dir. Elena Oxman, 2025, USA, 100 min.
Sunday, June 22, 2025, 6:00 pm, New Parkway, Oakland
Friday, June 27, 2025, 12:45 pm, Vogue Theatre
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Outerlands |
Cass is a non-binary adult, new to San Francisco, scraping by doing whatever work comes to hand: watching kids, waiting tables, small-time drug dealing. They have a torrid one-night stand with a new coworker, Kalli, that feels like it might be something deeper, but then Kalli disappears, leaving Cass with her 11-year-old daughter Ari. The poem “Late Fragment” by Raymond Carver frames the character study of Cass and Ari as they try to navigate a world filled with more indifference than care, both trying to heal their childhood traumas. Ari responds to the lack of consistent parental care by adopting a stray dog, as Cass tries to figure out how to care for Ari while struggling to take care of themself.
It’s a slow burn, no blockbuster action-packed sequences (even in the old-school videogame that lends its name to the film), but a mounting sense of the struggle to find (or make) a place for yourself in a city that has more room for tech bros than for everyday folks. Lea Delaria, a Frameline favorite, has a small supporting role, along with a somewhat larger role for Daniel K. Isaac, who was in Billions with Asia Kate Dillon (Cass). Dillon gives a powerful performance in another major non-binary role. It’s an emotional deep dive, well worth seeing; highly recommended.
• IMDb • promo clip • official website: 13thGenFilm.com •
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