Directed by Eric Schultz
Written by Eric Schultz, Justin Moretto and Thomas Torrey
Starring Sathya Sridharan, Paton Ashbrook and Dana Ashbrook
Running time: 1 hour and 31 minutes
Unrated- contains violence and language

by Audrey Callerstrom

Minor Premise is a calculated, cerebral sci-fi drama that continues to be engaging thanks to a nuanced performance from its lead, Sathya Sridharan. Sridharan plays Ethan Kochar, a reclusive, alcoholic scientist who has been edged out of the research work on cognition and memory that he did with his late father, Paul (played in flashbacks by Nikolas Kontomanolis). Due to his unreliable and unpredictable behavior, Ethan’s work has since been taken over by his ex, Alli (Paton Ashbrook) and his late father’s colleague, Malcolm (Dana Ashbrook). I never doubted Sridharan as Kochar, or was ever taken out of the moment, even when he talks about the science behind capturing and altering memory. He makes it look effortless. 

The majority of Minor Premise takes place in Ethan’s basement, where he performs rogue experiments on himself and teaches a community college course class through his laptop. One particularly effective scene shows Ethan’s secluded life on a loop; he works at his computer, he struggles in his lab, he teaches the course, he rolls up the projector screen with a loud zz-zz-zzip! and then he does it all again. Ethan experiences blackouts as a result of either his drinking, his self-experimenting or a combination of both. His previous invention, the R9X, which brought him brief fame, can capture memory due to “protein folding.” I have no idea if any of the science in Minor Premise is remotely sound, but “protein folding” sounds believable to me. If you told me that we could change thoughts and behaviors through “protein folding” I’d be like “Oh, neat!”

Ethan continues to struggle with the latest iteration, the R10, until his father’s journal arrives on his doorstep, which may hold the missing equation. While the concept of the R10 – changing memory and altering behavior - might seem unethical, Ethan provides useful examples in one of his lectures. What if we wanted to remove a person’s trauma that caused PTSD? Or rewire the pathways of the brain which provide a reward response toward opioids? Use of the new equation appears effective, but it has the unintended effect of separating Ethan’s personality into various “sections” which reset every 6 minutes, none of which he remembers. Among them are “Euphoria,” “Libido,” “Anxiety” and a mysterious “Section 8,” which appears to be psychotic. Alli shows up and helps him navigate the various sections.

If picking apart the logic or probability within a film is something you frequently do, you’re going to have problems with Minor Premise. I don’t know how Ethan’s machine is supposed to work, or how the 6 minute increments work in the span of a 24-hour day. The mechanics of its logic can be disorienting at times, but it’s best to not treat it like a puzzle. This is not Memento – there is no John G. Minor Premise is part sci-fi drama, part monster movie; Section 8 is the monster, and most of the film’s second half is trying to navigate what Section 8 does, and whether Ethan remembers it. The drama is where the film falls short. Ethan’s relationship with his father is implied to be contentious, but it’s never really fleshed out. It’s pretty much the typical Dead Parent storyline. There is a thrilling sequence where we see each of the eight sections; Ethan laughing and watching fireworks while experiencing “Euphoria;” Alli trying to talk a fearful Ethan down during “Anxiety.” The film could have played with each of these sections a bit more, or used it as an opportunity for some levity. What if each section presented a threat? Or crept over into parts of Ethan’s personality? Additionally, much of the film revolves around reviewing surveillance footage (Ethan’s house is rigged with security cameras), which can grow tedious to look at.

Still, this is an impressive debut feature on a number of fronts: director/co-writer Eric Schultz adapted it from his short film, Premise, also starring Sridrahan. Prior to that, Schultz produced several films in the last five years, but this is his first time directing a feature-length film. This is, from what I can tell, Sridrahan’s first starring role in a feature-length film, although he is an experienced performer/writer in off-Broadway productions. Sridrahan is matched by Paton Ashbrook, although the role itself is underwritten and Ashbrook appears capable of more. Press materials likened Minor Premise to Primer, and while the themes are similar, the performances and production of Minor Premise are much stronger. 

For those in Canada, Minor Premise is screening virtually via the Fantasia Festival, August 31st at 3:00PM.