The Good Neighbor

An anonymous henchman fulfils his role in a rigid hierarchy of power and control in this ingenious and visually dazzling film. Salman Rushdie clearly relishes his role as narrator for this adaptation of a razor-sharp satire written by Donald Barthelme.

All seems normal with Joseph and Joanne. Joanne is pregnant with their first child. Life in their little urban house is cozy and familiar. But something is off about Joseph. He doesn’t seem excited about the baby. Work on his documentary is becoming increasingly untethered. As Joseph struggles to maintain the routines of his domestic life, his mask begins to slip. Late at night, while Joanne thinks he is working, Joseph prowls the streets of Los Angeles, deliberately courting danger. Joanne is growing worried about Joseph’s odd behavior. But not as worried as she should be.

NOON is a scene from a completed feature screenplay. The short sets up the world’s unique premise and introduces our protagonist, Gray, a coyote numbed to the cruelty of the world and his part in it. We watch Gray struggle to salvage what humanity still exists within him when profit is pitted against morality.