Minor Premise (Blu-ray) Vinegar Syndrome

Attempting to surpass his father’s legacy and pressured by an old colleague (Dana Ashbrook of “Twin Peaks”), neuroscientist Ethan Kochar (Sathya Sridharan) turns his experiment on himself and unwittingly fractures his consciousness into ten competing sections. Ethan is now trapped in his home with his ex-girlfriend Alli (Paton Ashbrook) and the two must navigate trauma, ambition, and missteps of the past. Diving headfirst into the uncharted equations of the brain, they realize there is more at stake than just their relationship or Ethan’s reputation. With time quickly running out, he is forced to face off against the darker sides of himself.

Eric Schultz’s striking feature directorial debut, co-written with Thomas Torrey and neuroscientist Justin Moretto, is a brilliantly constructed science-fiction thriller, which also serves as a poignant reflection on our mind’s fragility and what constructs our sense of Self. Vibrant and trippy, with a focus on scientific authenticity, it dives through the inner workings of our anti-hero in a way that is insightful, suspenseful, and exhilarating. Sathya Sridharan’s performance as Ethan is a force to be reckoned with, bringing a unique twist to the sci-fi leading man, while Paton Ashbrook as Alli provides the film’s beating heart.