Unless you’re really into new music, you probably don’t realise that most major cities have their own insular music scenes. These can be big or small but tend to have their own ecosystems and microenvironments. They are usually full of cliques and can seem intimidating and difficult to penetrate from the outside. A young woman is desperate to break into one such ‘secret world’ in a new thrilling psychodrama, Poser.
Lennon (Sylvie Mix) dreams of being welcomed into the underground music scene in Columbus, Ohio. In order to gain acceptance into this ‘club’, she begins a podcast highlighting the best in local talent. While doing this she falls under the spell of charismatic singer Bobbi Kitten from the duo (with the mysterious Z Wolf) Damn the Witch Siren. Infatuation soon turns into obsession as Lennox’s musical ambitions come to the fore.
Poser is one of those films which inexplicably comes together perfectly. It works so well because it feels authentic. This is largely thanks to Mix’s mesmerising performance as the decision to use real bands from the Columbus scene. However, there’s much more to it than that in Noah Dixon and Ori Segev’s film. It feels alive, brimming with a real sense of organic energy which quietly pulsates through every shot. Poser is a beautiful and beguiling beast.
Poser opens in Columbus on 3 June and New York/Los Angeles on 17 June before expanding wider.
