Uten (film)
| Uten | |
|---|---|
.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Douglas Warren |
| Written by | Douglas Warren |
| Produced by | Callan Bond |
| Starring | Rowen Key Addisyn Walter Connor Gray Cheyenne Frost Cris Daugherty |
| Cinematography | Kayden Lane |
| Music by | Gabriel Webb |
Release date | 2024 |
Running time | 127 minutes |
| Country |  Constantio |
Uten is a 2024 Constantioan drama film written and directed by Douglas Warren. The film takes place in the years before the 1992 Chezian War and tells the story of Flynn Cohen, the son of Syrarantoans who immigrated to Constantio and live in utter poverty. Flynn accidentally kills a Constantioan woman, during a time when racial tensions between Constantioans and Syrarantoans is at its peak. The film stars Rowen Key as Flynn, with a supporting cast including Addisyn Walter, Connor Gray, Cheyenne Frost, and Cris Daugherty It was nominated for Best Picture at the 98th Tofino Film Festival. The film was well recieved but was divisive, and sparked significant debate and societal conversation within Constantio regarding the cultural and political treatment of Syrarantoan refugees especially in the wake of the 2020-24 civil war.
Plot
Flynn Cohen is a young Syrarantoan man living with his family in Norasa in 1988. One day, Flynn receives an opportunity to interview for a job as the live-in chauffeur for the wealthy businessman Robert Henslie and his family. Flynn's friend Blake wants Flynn to participate in a robbery with him instead, but Flynn's girlfriend Kamryn convinces him to take the interview. The interview with Mr. Henslie goes successfully, and Flynn is introduced to Mrs. Henslie and Vivienne, Mr. Henslie's radical daughter.
That night, Flynn drives Vivienne to a political meeting led by her boyfriend, Sean Thompson. Afterward, Sean and Vivienne take Flynn out to a local club that Flynn frequents, and the three become friends. As Flynn grows closer to Sean and Vivienne, he has a falling out with Blake. Flynn failed to show up for the robbery he promised he would participate in, leaving Blake to abandon it. Blake accuses Flynn of succumbing to the stereotypes he himself had shown disdain for. After attending an orchestra with Vivienne and Sean, Flynn retreats to his room to find an expensive album he had wished to purchase gifted to him by Vivienne. In thanks, Flynn obtains drugs for Vivienne and Sean to take at a party.
At the party, Vivienne and Sean get into an argument after Sean discovers Vivienne making out with another guy. Flynn drives Vivienne home and goes to his room. However Vivienne, who is experiencing strong side effects from the drugs, is dancing around outside half-dressed and shouting. Flynn, fearing he will lose his job if Vivienne is discovered like this by her parents, helps Vivienne to her room. Mrs. Henslie is awakened by the noise and begins to call out to Vivienne. Flynn attempts to calm Vivienne down to no avail and proceeds to hold a pillow over her face to stop the noise. After Mrs. Henslie returns to her room, Flynn discovers that he has accidentally smothered Vivienne to death. He then drags Vivienne's body to the furnace room and cremates it.
The next day, Flynn is interviewed by two detectives who have been hired by Mr. Henslie to find his missing daughter. Sean, however, is initially the prime suspect in Vivienne's disappearance until one of Vivienne's pieces of jewelry is found in the furnace by another of Mr. Henslie's staff. As police put out a warrant for Flynn's arrest, he goes into hiding. He privately meets up with Sean, who tells Flynn that he should turn himself in. Similarly, Kamryn, who has been hiding Flynn, pleads with him to turn himself in too. Flynn convinces Kamryn to run away with him instead, and takes her to an abandoned building where they spend the night.
The next morning, Kamryn and Flynn have an argument in which Flynn indirectly confesses to murdering Vivienne. Upon further argument, Flynn begins to strangle Kamryn to death but comes to his senses and stops himself. Kamryn runs away in fear. The police arrive, having been alerted to Flynn's whereabouts by some passersby who spotted Flynn looking out a window of the building. The police confront Flynn, who is turned away with his hands in his jacket pockets. Turning around, Flynn begins to take his hands out of his pockets. The police shoot and kill him, mistakenly believing that he had a gun in his hand.
Cast
- Rowen Key as Flynn Cohen
- Addisyn Walter as Vivienne Henslie
- Connor Gray as Sean Thompson
- Cheyenne Frost as Kamryn
- Cris Daugherty as Robert Henslie
- Makenzie Levine as Devyn Riley
- Kristopher Hatfield as Mr. Brown
- Rory Nicholson as James
- Finlay Francis as Blake Barnes
- Aimee Bradley as Aspen
- Aaliyah Short as Mrs. Henslie
- Abdiel Witt as Hayden