Review: Lyle (2014) ★

For many years, the American independent film scene was generally free from many of “big” Hollywood’s more egregious tendencies. In order to stand out, indie filmmakers needed to differentiate themselves from their blockbuster brethren with interesting narratives, distinct styles, or standout performances. These films may have aimed to shock or confuse their audiences. In some cases, they simply took a more European approach, and avoided the tropes of Classical Hollywood Cinema entirely. Unfortunately, Stewart Thordyke’s Lyle takes a very different path; it does just about everything in its power to be derivative, uninspired, and at times, downright embarrassing. 

I once had a film professor open a discussion by posing this question to the class: is film history over? As long as films continue to be made, I believe that it is not. Nonetheless, I think about that question a lot, and realize that it has shaped my view of contemporary films to one degree or another. Many are inclined to believe that there is nowhere else to go with film (at least nowhere interesting), and thus film history began a slow march to its death sometime in the mid-1990s. 

While I don’t think that Lyle is indicative of the death of cinema, as that would be an extremely dramatic assertion to make, I do think it is representative of an unsettling trend in American indie filmmaking. It’s beginning to feel like writers, directors, and producers have completely run out of any creative juices, and are just left with their desire to make a name for themselves by sticking to tried-and-true formulas. As a result, even micro-films with micro-budgets no longer take the same risks as they did in years past. 

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at what makes Lyle such a depressing sign of the times. The film stars Gaby Hoffmann as Leah, a pregnant woman preparing to move into a spacious Brooklyn apartment with her wife, June (Ingrid Jungermann), and their young daughter, Lyle. Tragedy strikes when Lyle suddenly falls from their apartment window and dies. Leah struggles to cope with the loss, but tries to stay positive in anticipation of the birth of their second child. However, Leah starts becoming increasingly paranoid about her daughter’s death and believes that those closest to her are part of a satanic cult.

If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because it is essentially just a retelling of Rosemary’s Baby (1968). With a runtime of just over an hour, Lyle compresses many of the same plot points, but somehow manages to be far less believable. This is due in large part to the subpar direction and bored performances. With the exception of Gaby Hoffmann, who does a decent job as a woman having a nervous breakdown, all of the actors deliver their lines with the enthusiasm of a troupe of cadavers. Saturday Night Live’s Michael Che plays a somewhat prominent role in the film, and proves beyond any doubt that he does not belong anywhere near a dramatic script.

Visually, Lyle shows that what it lacks in quality acting, it does not make up for in cinematography. However, I try not to judge this aspect of the film too harshly, as there have been hundreds of great films made on miniscule budgets, using only the most basic equipment at the disposal of the filmmakers. Still, the characters rarely ever leave the apartment building, the footage looks shaky, and even the sound mixing hits the ear in a very artificial way at times. All in all, the production value is nothing to write home about, but again, this is not its biggest fault by a long shot.

So, while I should reiterate that Lyle is not a sign of the end times or film history’s inevitable demise, it is emblematic of the lack of creativity and quality of modern indie filmmakers in the US. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of great indie filmmakers out there, but many of them are too busy pandering to the studios for a shot at the big leagues to make anything worth watching. I might sound overly cynical, and maybe I am, or maybe Lyle really is that bad.

Rating: ★ out of 5

If you’d still like to watch Lyle, the full movie is currently available to stream, rent, or purchase via Amazon here.