In Southern California, there is a hotbed of paranormal activity known as the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The area called the Borrego Triangle boasts stories of UFOs, eight-foot-tall ghost skeletons, and a furry cryptid known as the Borrego Sandman. Filmmaker Zeshaan Younus and producer Trevor Dillon crowdfunded, assembled a small cast, and spent a week in the Anza-Borrego Desert filming Younus’ directorial debut, The Buildout, with real life paranormal investigator Greg Newkirk (Hellier) serving as Executive Producer.
Part found footage and part paranormal fever dream, The Buildout draws from the rich supernatural history of the location, as well as the majestic scenery, with captivating results.
The Buildout follows close friends Dylan (Hannah Alline) and Cameron (Jenna Kanell) as they venture out into the California desert on motorbikes. The two women have been friends since childhood and this long journey into the desert will be the last time they are together. It’s been a couple of years since Dylan decided to get sober and during that time, she also joined an enigmatic church and believes that she has found God. Cameron says she’s in a cult. As they drive, the women reminisce about their lives together and the death of Cameron’s sister Dakota (Danielle Evon Ploeger). It soon becomes clear that Cameron does not share Dylan’s spiritual beliefs and she also has some resentment towards her for her sister’s death.
When they stop to have lunch, Dylan secretly records a video for Cameron to remember her by because she isn’t planning to come back.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the desert, a Cleric (Natasha Helevi) has set up a tent and base camp and is ecstatically recording a message for the Clergy to let them know that they have been guided to the location they were meant to find. She tells the Clergy she has had visions to confirm that they are on the right path. This will be the new, permanent home for the members of the church. Inside the tent are maps of the desert and various drawings, including one of a hooded figure without a face and the word “Manifest.”
The Buildout is beautifully shot, and the seemingly endless Southern California desert feels like the perfect location for the otherworldly story to unfold. The remote setting provides a sense of desolation, which is magnified by immersive, surreal storytelling, as well as the obvious vulnerability of the two women. Alline gives an incredible performance as Dylan, a recovering addict claiming to have found rebirth and peace, when in reality she is not as confident in her beliefs as she seems. Kanell effortlessly portrays Cameron as bold and self-assured, but she is also struggling with grief due to the loss of her sister, and questioning her lifelong friendship with Dylan, as well as her own spirituality.
The Buildout is a stunning, genre-bending odyssey into the unknown that skillfully blends themes of mysticism, grief, and the paranormal into a film where reality and the supernatural blur. Gorgeous cinematography, outstanding performances, and a thought-provoking, transcendental story make The Buildout an incredibly impressive first feature film. The audience will benefit from a second viewing.
The Buildout premiered virtually at this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival.
