From writer-director Peter Cannon makes his feature debut with the psychological thriller Exposure, which tackles the subject of fear and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Today, we have the first look images from the film.
In the film, “Years ago, Tanner was kidnapped, tortured, and poisoned by an unknown assailant. After being inexplicably freed, he was left obsessed with the idea that his kidnapper was still out to get him. Day in and day out, Tanner’s compulsive checking to confirm that his house is secure and his food is safe to eat slowly erodes his relationship with his patient and caring wife, Nicole.
One day, Nicole hears that the man who assaulted Tanner was released from prison earlier than expected, and Tanner’s obsession spirals out of control. To save her marriage, Nicole forces him to face his fears head-on with exposure therapy and ultimately to confront the fact that he’s experiencing OCD. Reluctant at first, he takes to it well—and perhaps to a frightening, dangerous level.”
Starring Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies, Big Love and Margo Harshman (NCIS, The Big Bang Theory, Even Stevens), includes Douglas Smith, Ryan Whitney, Abraham Rodriguez, Alex Feldman, Kevin McCorkle, Gary Poux; Chanel Minnifield; René Ashton, and Zachary Webber. Jordan Michaud-Scorza and Tanner Sawitzse produce the film, whose cinematographer is by Michelle Kwong. Joel Jay Blacker serves as editor.
“I’ve dealt with obsessive compulsive disorder for over a decade. Over the years, the media has served up an oversimplified version of OCD to the average person—one that downplays the relentless terror that plagues 1% of the entire population. EXPOSURE takes the intricacies, nuances, and forms the disorder takes, and presents them in the way a sufferer all too often experiences it, so that those who don’t can better understand the experience. The story shows OCD in a few of its many incarnations, all with the unifying factor of a specific, repetitive, mind-consuming fear.” Cannon reveals.
“The ultimate goal for any sufferer of obsessions,” Cannon concludes, “is the acceptance of a difficult truth: their ‘worst fear’ can absolutely happen, and to keep living is to tolerate that. Underneath the suspense, drama, and horror, EXPOSURE is about a man who learns that clinging to safety can ruin his life just as much as any perceived threat could. It’s an idea that can make sense to anybody, but internalizing it is a steep ask for the average person, let alone someone tormented by this disorder.”
The Mayo Clinic describes OCD as featuring “a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead you to do repetitive behaviors (compulsions). These obsessions and compulsions interfere with daily activities and cause significant distress.”
Exposure is making its World Premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Tuesday, October 17, 2023.
