The Playground (2017 film)

The Playground is a 2017 thriller film directed by Edreace Purmul. The film was written by Purmul, Ramona Frye and Dean Mounir. It stars Myles Cranford, Merrick McCartha, Shane P. Allen, Christopher Salazar and Ghadir Mounib. The film won Best Narrative Feature at the San Diego Film Awards and was distributed by Indie Rights.

The Playground
Poster
Directed byEdreace Purmul
Written by
  • Edreace Purmul
  • Ramona Frye
  • Dean Mounir
Produced by
  • Edreace Purmul
  • Bart Cameron
  • Marisa Ditimus
  • Rayma Kendra Kulik
  • Chad Littlepage
  • Raj Milian
  • Rebecca Reyes
Starring
CinematographyRoger Sogues
Music bySami Matar
Production
company
SplitWorld Pictures
Distributed byIndie Rights
Release date
  • October 21, 2017 (2017-10-21) (VOD)
Running time
151 minutes
CountryUSA
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The story follows Joseph, Grandison, Jack, Jill and Mr. Vaugn. Joseph is a priest grappling with his morals. Grandison is an eager bum down on his luck. Jack is a convict, married to Jill, his frustrated wife. Mr. Vaugn is a business man whose fortune is slipping away. They all struggle against their inner demons while crossing paths in a fable orchestrated by a dark entity.

Cast
  • Myles Cranford as Old Homeless Man
  • Merrick McCartha as Grandison
  • Shane P. Allen as Mr. Vaugn
  • Christopher Salazar as Joseph
  • Ghadir Mounib as Jill
  • Raye Richards as Hairdresser Coworker
  • Daniel Armand as Nameless Man
  • Lawrence R. Kivett as Jack
  • Kysha Hobbs as Shaman
  • Evan Henderson as Accountant[1]
  • Jennifer Paredes as Auto Mechanic Clerk

Production

Purmul began writing the script in 2013, inspired by questions around mass shootings in America. He created his own version of the Devil based on archetypes from ancient fables and integrated it into the characters.[2]

The cast is mostly made up of San Diego based actors. The film plays out like an anthology, observing five separate stories. Purmul says his elevator pitch for the film is Pulp Fiction meets The Devil's Advocate.[3]

Release

The film released on October 21, 2017.[4] It was distributed by Indie Rights.[5]

Reception

Critical response

Richard Propes of The Independent Critic says that Purmul has "crafted a film of tremendous vision and intentionality,"[6] scoring it 3 out of 4.[4] Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson admits "it is a film to respect more than enjoy"[7] scoring the film 3 out of 5 stars.[4] Shirley Rodriguez at Independent Film Now said "the true playground we discover is the world itself and its inhabitants."[8]

Accolades

The film won Best Narrative Feature Film at the San Diego Film Awards in 2016.[9]

References
  1. "The Playground (2017)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2022-11-25.
  2. Bailey, Torrey (2017-10-11). "Devil of a Time". San Diego CityBeat. 16 (9): 20 – via Issuu.
  3. Accomando, Beth (2017-10-12). "San Diego Indie Feature, 'The Playground' Has World Premiere Thursday". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  4. "The Playground - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  5. "The Playground - Indie Rights Movies". Indie Rights. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. Propes, Richard. "The Independent Critic - "The Playground" Hits the Festival Circuit". The Independent Critic. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  7. Shanahan, Don (2016-04-18). "MOVIE REVIEW: The Playground". Every Movie Has a Lesson. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  8. Rodriguez, Shirley (2016-05-09). "The Playground directed by Edreace Purmul". Independent Film Now. Archived from the original on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  9. Myers, Heather (2017-10-11). "New thriller 'The Playground' made in San Diego gets theatrical release". KFMB-TV. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
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