Written by director Zach Gayne and the film’s two stars, Precious Chong and Alex Essoe (who wowed us with her breakthrough performance in STARRY EYES, which screened at the Rio Grind Film Festival back in 2014), HOMEWRECKER has an unusual tone informed by late 1980s pop sensibilities. With the energy of a Jane Fonda workout tape, the movie escalates into the uncanny, especially as it deals with gendered expectations surrounding femininity and romance.

The film follows the story of  Michelle (Essoe), who is in her early 30s, and Linda (Chong), who is in her late 40s. Michelle is an interior designer and newlywed to Robert. Linda lives alone; she fills her days with painting and exercise classes. Seeking a new friend, Linda pursues Michelle after one of their classes together. When Linda coerces the reserved, deferential Michelle into visiting her home for a spontaneous interior design consultation, it quickly becomes clear that Linda has something more sinister on her mind than throw pillows.

Filmmakers in attendance for Q&A!

“The shackles of Canadian politeness are the source of nightmares in the pop-horror-satire, HOMEWRECKER. With the energy of a Jane Fonda workout tape, the movie escalates into the uncanny.” (Rotten Tomatoes)

Sunday, November 24
Movie 9:30 pm
Advance tickets $13 in advance HERE | $13 at the door

*Must be 19+ w/ID for entry and bar service. Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.

Filmmaker Zach Gayne was born and bred off the countless racks of VHS rentals and the heyday of the Toronto International Film Festival. He is a featured writer for ScreenAnarchy.com with a reputation for in-depth interviews from a plethora of narrative and doc filmmakers, actors, and musicians. Zach’s feature film debut, States, an ensemble road movie inspired by the works of Jack Kerouac and the films of Richard Linklater, is set for both theatrical and digital release in 2019.

Alex Essoe gained accolades for her breath-through starring role in 2014’s genre fave Starry Eyes, directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer (Pet Sematary). Since then she has collaborated on features with genre mainstays Julius Ramsay (The Walking Dead), Simon Rumley (Red, White and Blue), and Jordan Rubin (Zombeavers). Alex can currently be seen in Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep, where she is reprising the legendary role of Wendy Torrance, first played by Shelley Duvall in The Shining.

Precious Chong is a seasoned thespian of both stage and screen, working extensively with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Company, as well as having a recurring role on USA Network’s Falling Water. She recently starred in the premiere production of Fair and Square, which was nominated for the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s prestigious Stage West Comedy Award.  Through Funny or Die, she is the co-creator of the web series Sex and the Single Parent, which to date has been nominated three times for a Canadian Comedy Award.

HOMEWRECKER (Zach Gayne, 2019 / 86 mins) When Linda, a GenXer lost in the heartache of her 1980s youth, meets Michelle, a newlywed millennial petrified of her future, a bitter generational feud erupts with frayed nerves and old wounds torn asunder.