What if everything you thought you knew about your life was wrong? Instead of the usual drudgery of everyday existence, you wake up one fateful day and the proverbial shit hits the fan. Indie filmmaker Miguel Coyula drops us into the future noir life of Adam, who's losing what little control he's had over his life in the dramatic suspense flick RED COCKROACHES.

A collage of disturbing images fades into a "Blade Runner" style New York City in the not-so-distant future; complete with toxic acid rain. Adam is a non-descript bartender, just living day to day in the urban sprawl. At the subway station, a beautiful woman catches his attention, but before he can decide what to do, the train arrives and the girl is lost in the swarm of departing passengers. All Adam finds is a very peculiar tooth...

Adam's girlfriend Monica introduces him to her very rich and powerful parents, but he's obviously uncomfortable around them. So he decides to break up with Monica. Back at his apartment, the very same girl from the subway - a bold French girl calling herself Lily - inquires about his ad for a roommate. Adam finds himself attracted to Lily, but put off by her aggressive nature. She doesn't believe in hiding one's feeling behind the conventions of society...

Adam goes upstate to visit his mother Krista, who's obsessed with cats, hates the city and is still unable to get over the accident that killed her husband and Adam's sister ten years earlier. Adam does his best to get her to move on, but once Mom gets an idea in her head, that's that. Back in the city, Adam confides to his best friend Nick that his life is breaking apart, much like the mirror he broke. When he visits his family's grave, who should be lurking about but Ms. Lily? Impulsively, Adam passionately kisses her, but the couple are intruded upon and Lily disappears again. Monica goes to the bar where Adam works and actually tries to buy him back; he tells her in no uncertain terms to 'fuck off.' Adam finally makes it home in a somewhat frenzied state but an ominous call from his mother spurs him to race to her home. And it's there that Adam's life really begins to unravel. Adam will soon have to walk a fine line between desire and obsession as events twist and turn causing him to question everything he though was real and true. And in the center of his maelstrom is dear sweet Lily...

RED COCKROACHES is truly a movie that stretches the parameters of 'normal' filmmaking. The story, the first part of a proposed trilogy, certainly raises more questions than it answers. Some of the ideas - such as the ominous DNA21 Corp. lurking in the background - will hopefully be expounded upon in future releases. The main storyline is pretty clear; however, it does play as a more 'Euro-style' of images and feelings than flat-out American action & dialogue. But what makes RED COCKROACHES such an exceptional film is that the style Coyula infuses into his film makes the audience want more. Every shot is different from the last - a string of images that creates a fluidity that keeps the audience's eyes riveted to the scene. Coyula planned every shot well in advance to achieve the maximum effect for his effort, and his combinations of scenes - cutting between longer establishing scenes and short impactful images - really drives the film along, as does his subtle use of camera movement. Some films tend to have the camera's POV moving constantly as if 'you are there', but Coyula's use is more voyeuristic than intrusive. Which makes it so much more real...and kinda creepy. Nearly every scene has a touch of special effects, from mood color to enhance emotion to hovercraft flying through the sky, which only add to the visual feast. The main characters are deeply layered, and as more is revealed, more things go wrong - perhaps opening Pandora's box wasn't such a good idea. The actors excel in some very demanding roles - extra kudos to Adam Plotch (Adam) and Talia Rubel (Lily) for making characters so real it's almost scary.

For a movie shot with basically no budget, the picture quality of RED COCKROACHES is incredible. As mentioned, a lot of work on SFX was done in post, but the results are seamless. Every scene has been rendered for maximum effect, and the use of colors is thoughtfully done, as they become a vital part of the film's story & emotional state. Audio is fine and distinguished - the music (also by Coyula) is nicely subtle, and effective undercurrent to the film.

RED COCKROACHES had been released on DVD with a few nice extras. Beyond the trailer, there is a short 'making-of' feature (where Coyula explains how he spent virtually nothing to make the film), a short bio of the director, storyboards (so important to this project) and three deleted scenes. There are also some outtakes, which are funny in a disturbing sort of way. Coyula, Plotch and Jeff Pucillo (who plats Nick) also provide a feature-length audio commentary, which should be listened to after watching RED COCKROACHES. An earlier short film by Coyula, "Light Valve (Valvula De Luz)" is included as well - this is a more experimental film that juxtaposes images and sound. Not my cup of tea, really, but you can see the style Coyula is developing for his feature.

RED COCKROACHES is like a great impressionist painting, what seems to be one thing can, viewed from a different perspective, become totally different. This is the power of a film like RED COCKROACHES, a very personal film that allows every individual to find his or her own interpretation. Yes, much of the story and ideas in RED COCKROACHES are left unresolved, but Coyula's style is so absorbing that I for one am anxious to see how he will bring everything together. RED COCKROACHES proves that a filmmaker's passion and dedication can rise above anything to make one's dreams come true.