Ariella Mastroianni and Ryan J. Sloan Talk "Gazer" (2025) and Indie Noir! (INTERVIEW)

Detective Noir is one of the oldest genres of film, dating back to the 1940’s.  It’s evolved thanks to experimental filmmakers like Rian Johnson (“Brick”), Christopher Nolan (“Memento”) and even The Coen Brothers (“The Big Lebowski,” “Blood Simple,” “The Man Who Wasn’t There”...you get the picture.)  The latest offering in the genre is “Gazer,” a lo-fi addition to the canon, which just arrived from writer/director Ryan J. Sloan and lead actor/writer Ariella Mastroianni.

Sloan and Mastroianni shot “Gazer” on weekends, over the course of two years between breaks in their day jobs.  It doesn’t get more indie than that. I sat down with me to discuss the trials and tribulations of making the film.  From exploring the wilds of New Jersey, to keeping track of the paths of all the characters.  We even got to talk a little about the possession novel that I thought inspired “Gazer.” Okay, I was wrong, but they got a good book recommendation out of it.  You will too!

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